Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is calling on the United States to extradite former intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem to Brazil to serve a prison sentence.
Lula expressed optimism Tuesday that Ramagem would be returned to face justice, following the official's detention by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Florida on Monday.
“I believe Ramagem will come back to Brazil; he has to come back to serve his sentence,” Lula told a local news outlet during an interview.
Ramagem fled Brazil in September after receiving a 16-year prison sentence for his role in a coup plot designed to overturn the results of the 2022 election. The plot allegedly sought to keep former President Jair Bolsonaro in power after his loss to Lula.
Extradition efforts and political fallout
Brazil has already filed formal requests for Ramagem’s extradition. According to reports from Folha de S. Paulo, Lula believes the recent arrest in Florida is a direct consequence of the fugitive's prior conviction.
While the Brazilian president seeks prosecution, allies of Bolsonaro have minimized the ICE detention. These supporters described Monday's arrest as the result of a routine traffic stop and expressed hope for Ramagem's release.
Ramagem’s legal troubles extend beyond the coup plot. During his tenure as head of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN), he faced allegations of illegally spying on Bolsonaro’s political opponents.
The coup investigation also involves allegations of assassination plots targeting Lula. Former President Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year sentence in Brazil for his involvement in the uprising.
The legal battle has drawn international attention, particularly from former US President Donald Trump. Trump previously criticized the Brazilian judiciary as a victim of a “witch hunt” and imposed tariffs on Brazil in response to the proceedings against Bolsonaro.
Despite these tensions, diplomatic relations between Washington and Brasília have recently stabilized. The two nations recently entered a partnership to intercept illegal weapons and drug trafficking shipments.
