Bolsonaro ally arrested in Paraguay while fleeing Brazil

Bolsonaro ally Silvinei Vasques arrested in Paraguay while trying to flee Brazil after 2023 coup conviction. Extradited to Brazilian authorities.
A prominent former Brazilian police chief, closely associated with ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, was apprehended in Paraguay while attempting to flee to El Salvador. This arrest comes after his conviction in connection with the failed 2023 coup attempt in Brazil.

Silvinei Vasques Arrested at Asuncion Airport

Silvinei Vasques, the former chief of Brazil’s highway police, was detained on Friday at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Paraguay’s capital, Asuncion. According to the Paraguayan National Directorate of Migration (DNM), Vasques was caught using a fake Paraguayan passport as he tried to evade immigration controls.

Authorities confirmed he intended to fly to Panama, with El Salvador listed as his final destination. Paraguay’s DNM described Vasques’s entry into the country as “clandestine” while he was actively evading justice in Brazil.

Extradition to Brazil

Following his arrest, Vasques was expelled from Paraguay and handed over to Brazilian federal police at the Friendship Bridge border crossing, which connects Ciudad del Este in Paraguay to Foz do Iguacu in Brazil. Paraguayan authorities released images and video footage of the arrest, showing Vasques in custody.

Background: Role in Bolsonaro’s Attempted Coup

Vasques was accused of deploying police officers to obstruct voters in left-leaning areas during Brazil’s 2022 elections. Bolsonaro ultimately lost to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

After his 2023 arrest, Vasques was placed under house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor pending trial. Earlier this month, he was sentenced to over 24 years in prison. However, he removed his ankle monitor and fled Brazil, crossing into Paraguay by car.

Brazil Supreme Court Orders Preventive Detention

Brazil’s Supreme Court, led by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, issued a preventive detention order for Vasques following his escape. The court considered the move necessary to prevent further attempts to evade justice.

Vasques is not the only official convicted over the 2023 coup attempt who tried to flee Brazil. In September, former intelligence agency director Alexandre Ramagem left the country and has been residing in the United States. Similarly, Bolsonaro himself attempted to remove his court-ordered ankle monitor and is now serving a 27-year prison sentence.

Bolsonaro’s Legal Troubles Continue

The former president underwent hernia surgery in a Brazilian hospital earlier this week. Meanwhile, investigations and prosecutions related to the 2023 coup plot are ongoing, with multiple Bolsonaro allies facing charges and prison sentences.