Alexandre Ramagem fled Brazil in September after his conviction for plotting a coup with former president Jair Bolsonaro
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenReutersPublished: 5:05am, 14 Apr 2026Former Brazilian intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem has been detained by ICE in the United States, the agency reported on its website on Monday, after he fled Brazil in September following his conviction for plotting a coup with then-president Jair Bolsonaro.Ramagem, 53, is a former congressman and police officer who commanded Brazil’s main intelligence agency, ABIN, under Bolsonaro. He was sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for his role in a plot to overturn leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s 2022 election victory over Bolsonaro.Ramagem’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He has long maintained his innocence. Paulo Figueiredo, a Bolsonaro ally who lives in the US, said on X that Ramagem was arrested for a minor traffic violation.
A police source, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the detainee was Ramagem.
The police statement said the arrest was the result of “international police cooperation between the Federal Police and US law enforcement authorities”.
