Brazil’s fugitive ex-spy chief arrested by ICE agents in the US
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Brazil's former spy chief Alexandre Ramagem (centre) was sentenced to over 16 years in prison for plotting a coup with ex-president Jair Bolsonaro.
PHOTO: AFP
BRASILIA - Former Brazilian intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem has been detained by ICE in the United States, the agency reported on its website on April 13, after he fled Brazil in September following his conviction for plotting a coup with ex-president Jair Bolsonaro.
Ramagem, a former Federal Police inspector, was sentenced to over 16 years in prison for his role in a plot to overturn leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's 2022 election victory over Bolsonaro.
Ramagem's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He has long maintained his innocence.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said on its website that Ramagen had been detained but gave no other details. It did not immediately respond to questions.
Meanwhile, Brazil's Federal Police said in a statement on April 13 that a Brazilian man whose capture was sought by that country's authorities was arrested in Orlando, Florida, by ICE. The Federal Police did not identify the man but said he had been convicted by Brazil's Supreme Court of plotting a coup.
The detention was the result of cooperation between the law enforcement in both countries, Brazil's Federal Police added.
Mr Paulo Figueiredo, a Bolsonaro ally who lives in the US, said on social media platform X on April 13 that Ramagem was arrested for a minor traffic violation in Orlando and then referred to ICE.
Reuters could not verify the reason for Ramagem's arrest, or whether it was related to Brazil's request to extradite him.
The case against Bolsonaro, a far-right leader, drew the ire of US President Donald Trump, who used it to justify steep tariffs on Brazilian imports in 2025.
Mr Trump's disapproval did little to derail the case, which ended in September 2025 with the convictions of 29 people including Bolsonaro, who is now serving a 27-year sentence. Mr Trump later lifted many of the tariffs he had imposed.
As the head of Brazil's intelligence agency under the Bolsonaro administration, starting in 2019, Ramagem was accused of investigating the former president's critics and providing information to help him discredit Brazil's electoral system.
Ramagem, who was elected as a federal lawmaker in 2022, also lost his seat in Congress as part of the coup case. REUTERS
