Runaway Brazilian ex-spy chief convicted in coup reportedly detained by ICE at Florida traffic stop
A minor traffic stop led to Alexandre Ramagem's referral to ICE, a Bolsonaro ally says on social media
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}U.S. immigration authorities reportedly detained former Brazilian intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem in Florida on Monday, months after Brazil sentenced him to prison for his role in a plot to keep former President Jair Bolsonaro in power after the 2022 election.
Brazilian authorities said Ramagem fled the country in September 2025, shortly after being sentenced to 16 years in prison. But Ramagem's supporters argue that he has an active asylum claim in the United States and should not be deported.
In a statement announcing Ramagem's detention, the Brazilian Federal Police did not name him directly but referenced the crimes he was convicted of.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The detainee is considered a fugitive from Brazilian justice after convictions to crimes including participation in an armed criminal organization, a coup d’état, and the attempted violent abolition of the rule of law," the Federal Police said in a statement.
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Rio de Janeiro's mayor candidate of the Liberal Party (PL) Alexandre Ramagem gestures before the start of the television debate among Rio de Janeiro mayor candidates at the Projac Globo television network studios in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 3, 2024. Mayoral elections will take place in Brazil on 6 October 2024 (Mauro Pimentel / AFP via Getty Images)
Brazilian Senator Jorge Seif, an ally of Bolsonaro, shared on social media that Ramagem was detained by U.S. authorities. Seif is pushing for Ramagem's release, arguing that he should be granted political asylum.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The political persecution against President Bolsonaro, his sons and his allies is now hitting an elected lawmaker in foreign soil," Seif said. "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."
Brazilian authorities said the detention was the result of "international police cooperation," not directly tied to his conviction.
Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro speaks to the press as he arrives at the Brasilia International Airport in Brasilia, Brazil, on March 25, 2025. (Luis Nova/AP)
Brazilian journalist Paulo Figueiredo, a friend of Ramagem, shared on X that he was detained after being stopped by police for a "minor traffic violation." Authorities then referred Ramagem to ICE. Figueiredo claimed that Ramagem currently has an asylum request with the United States.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mayoral pre-candidate Alexandre Ramagem campaigns in Rio de Janeiro as former President Jair Bolsonaro stands nearby on July 18, 2024. (Bruna Prado | Associated Press)
Figueiredo wrote that Immigrex, a visa consulting company where he is a partner, will provide full services to Ramagem.
"Our expectation is that he will be released as quickly as possible, and at this time we see no risk of deportation. The ICE process is also bureaucratic and depends on formal processing within the agency’s system before the next steps can be taken," Figueiredo wrote on X.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Monday, The Associated Press reported that Ramagem was listed on ICE's online detainee database, but a Fox News Digital search on Tuesday found his name was not listed.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brazilian authorities say the coup led by Bolsonaro and his supporters began months before the 2022 election, when they alleged that there was a strong chance that the election was rigged against Bolsonaro. When President Luiz Inácio de Silva won the election, Bolsonaro did not concede. He was later convicted of attempting to overthrow the government and is currently serving a 27-year sentence for his role in the coup.