The former head of Brazilian intelligence, Alexandre Ramagem, who was convicted alongside former President Jair Bolsonaro for an attempted coup d’état, has been released from a U.S. prison after being detained by immigration police, according to allies.
A fugitive from Brazilian justice, the 53-year-old former congressman and former police officer was sentenced in September 2025 to 16 years in prison by the Supreme Federal Court (STF). Both he and Bolsonaro were found guilty of conspiring to keep the former leader in power despite his 2022 election loss to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Ramagem reportedly fled Brazil in September via Guyana, bypassing immigration controls, and entered the United States using a diplomatic passport. While Brazil officially requested his extradition in December, the circumstances of his recent detention remain disputed:
Read more about this topic: Ex-Brazilian intelligence chief arrested in the US by ICE (with video)
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The Brazilian Version: Brazilian police described Monday’s detention as a result of cooperation with U.S. authorities.
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The Allies’ Version: Influencer Paulo Figueiredo claims Ramagem was initially stopped for a minor traffic violation and that U.S. authorities found his immigration status to be “fully regularized.”
Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of the former president, announced on X that Ramagem is now “free and at home” in the U.S. In his message, he specifically thanked President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the “discretion they showed in handling the case.”
While Donald Trump previously characterized the legal actions against Bolsonaro as a “witch hunt,” leading to a diplomatic and trade rift with Brazil, relations had recently begun to stabilize under President Lula. However, the release of a high-profile fugitive like Ramagem may test that fragile normalization.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not yet issued a formal statement regarding Ramagem’s current migratory status or the reasons for his release without bail.
