SAO PAULO — Brazilian federal police descended on the home of former President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday, conducting a search for weapons and ammunition that ultimately turned up nothing, according to one of his attorneys.
Lawyer Joao Henrique de Freitas shared the outcome in a post on X, writing: “The defense had already previously informed the whereabouts of all the weapons. Result: Nothing was found.”
The Brazilian newspaper Estadao first broke the story, reporting that Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes had authorized the search.
Bolsonaro, who is 71 years old, has been behind bars since November, serving a 27-year prison sentence after being convicted of plotting to overthrow the government following his loss to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the 2022 election.
Just last Friday, Justice Moraes granted Bolsonaro permission to serve his sentence under house arrest, citing health concerns. The former president has dealt with significant medical issues in recent years stemming from a stabbing he suffered while campaigning back in 2018.
Adding to the legal complications, a gun belonging to Bolsonaro was confiscated from one of his security team members at a police checkpoint last month. Despite that incident, Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet — in an opinion sought by Moraes — recommended that Bolsonaro be allowed to remain under house arrest.
