Former Brazil Spy Chief Arrested in U.S.

Alexandre Ramagem , a former head of Brazil’s intelligence agency, was arrested in the United States by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday, April 13, according to the information provided. The detention took place after he left Brazil in September, following a conviction tied to a coup plot case.

Brazilian Federal Police said an unnamed Brazilian national was detained in Orlando, Florida, and that the person was wanted by Brazilian authorities in connection with a conviction related to a coup plot. Officials said the detention resulted from cooperation between law enforcement bodies in the United States and Brazil. The source material identifies the detained individual as Ramagem.

Ramagem, a former Federal Police inspector, had been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison. The conviction was linked to actions aimed at reversing the outcome of Brazil’s 2022 election, in which leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defeated Jair Bolsonaro.

Officials also referenced the broader legal process involving Bolsonaro and his associates, which concluded in September of the previous year. Those proceedings resulted in convictions for 29 people, including Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a 27-year sentence, according to the source material.

Ramagem led Brazil’s intelligence agency starting in 2019 during the Bolsonaro administration. In that role, he faced accusations of probing critics of the former president and circulating information intended to weaken confidence in Brazil’s electoral system, the source material said.

As part of the coup case consequences described, Ramagem also lost his position as a federal lawmaker. The source material does not provide additional details on the next procedural steps in the United States following ICE’s detention, including whether extradition proceedings have begun or what timeline may apply.