After losing Brazil’s election, Flávio Bolsonaro fled to Miami in an elaborate operation aided by Trump’s inner circle and Argentina’s president
Flávio Bolsonaro’s journey from Brazil to the United States involved decoy cars, a cross-border transfer through Argentina and Ecuador, and assistance from allies of US President Donald Trump. The Brazilian senator and his family reached Miami on Wednesday after an operation coordinated by a small circle of US officials and aides to Argentine President Javier Milei, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Flávio Bolsonaro’s departure came after he lost Brazil’s presidential runoff election to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Brazil’s Supreme Court had ordered him to surrender his passports within 24 hours as part of a money-laundering investigation and barred him from leaving the country. Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing.
Four cars, decoy and a carefully concealed departure
After Bolsonaro stepped off the plane in Miami on Wednesday morning, wearing a navy polo shirt and a backpack, uniformed officers used umbrellas to shield him from cameras. According to report, Bolsonaro left his home in Brasília on Monday evening in a convoy of four dark vehicles. The cars split in different directions, leaving journalists and others uncertain about which one was carrying him. The report said that even some of Bolsonaro’s close allies in Washington and Brazil were initially unaware of his whereabouts. By Tuesday afternoon, however, allies were telling reporters that he had reached Florida, although he was still in Brazil at the time. The operation took shape on Monday as people close to Bolsonaro grew concerned that he could face arrest, the WSJ reported. His legal troubles predated the election, but the court order restricting his travel intensified those concerns.
From Argentina to Miami on a private jet
Bolsonaro, his wife and their two daughters travelled by road towards Argentina. According to Argentine authorities cited in the report, the family crossed the Tancredo Neves International Bridge into Puerto Iguazú at around 10.50 pm local time on Tuesday. Their vehicle was escorted by Argentine airport security police to the immigration checkpoint at Iguazú Falls International Airport. A former Argentine intelligence official told the newspaper that Santiago Caputo, a senior aide to Milei, was monitoring the operation and coordinating with Bolsonaro’s younger brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro. A private Gulfstream jet, operated by charter airline Baires Fly, was waiting at the airport. Flight-tracking data showed that the aircraft travelled to Guayaquil, Ecuador, to refuel before continuing to the United States. Bolsonaro travelled using an Italian passport. He reportedly acquired Italian citizenship in 2023. The jet landed at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport on Wednesday morning. Officers used umbrellas to shield the family from cameras as they were escorted to a waiting vehicle.
Trump’s approval and a long-running alliance
The WSJ reported that Trump personally approved the family’s entry into the US on Tuesday, after which Secretary of State Marco Rubio moved to issue visas. The family was admitted under humanitarian parole, allowing them to remain in the country for one year, according to people familiar with the arrangements cited by the newspaper. Trump adviser Jason Miller helped secure the charter flight, working with Eduardo Bolsonaro. The operation marked the culmination of years of efforts by the Bolsonaro family to cultivate ties with Trump and his inner circle. In a statement from Miami, Bolsonaro referred to himself as the “leader of Brazil” and thanked Trump for welcoming him to a “land of freedoms”. He also praised Milei for his “courage” and “sense of justice”. Trump, meanwhile, said of the Bolsonaros: “I thought they were treated very unfairly.” He added: “But I won’t get involved—it was a very strange election, that’s for sure.” Bolsonaro is reportedly planning to establish a political operation in exile in the US, although it remains unclear whether the Trump administration will take further steps to intervene in Brazil’s domestic political and legal disputes.
