A Brazilian senator announced Monday that Alexandre Ramagem, who previously led the country’s intelligence services, has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and is seeking political asylum in America.
Ramagem, who also served as a congressman, received a 16-year prison sentence in September for participating in the coup attempt orchestrated by former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters in 2023. Brazilian federal authorities reported that he escaped the South American country before beginning his prison term.
Senator Jorge Seif posted on social media that he contacted the U.S. embassy in Brasilia, arguing that Ramagem should be released from detention because he faces political persecution in his homeland. Seif did not provide specifics about the circumstances of the former intelligence director’s arrest.
ICE’s online detainee records showed Ramagem in custody as of Monday, though the specific detention location was not disclosed.
“The political persecution against President Bolsonaro, his sons and his allies is now hitting an elected lawmaker in foreign soil,” Seif stated. “In our document (to the U.S. embassy) we showed all the reasons that justify and defend the concession of political asylum to Ramagem and his family.”
In December, Ramagem lost his congressional position as a direct result of his conviction in the coup case from the previous month.
Brazilian federal police issued a statement Monday confirming that a “fugitive of the country’s justice was arrested” in Orlando, though they did not specifically name Ramagem.
The federal police also noted that this unnamed fugitive had recently been convicted by Brazil’s highest court on identical charges to those in Ramagem’s case.
Neither ICE officials nor Ramagem’s legal representation provided responses to requests for comment from The Associated Press.
