Brazilian police raided the residence and political office of former President Jair Bolsonaro early Friday, ordering him to wear an electronic ankle monitor and banning him from communicating with foreign dignitaries, according to CNN Brasil.
Authorities also confiscated an undisclosed amount of U.S. dollars found during the search, the outlet reported.
Bolsonaro is currently on trial for allegedly attempting to subvert the outcome of Brazil’s 2022 presidential election to cling to power.
If convicted of orchestrating the alleged coup attempt, the former leader could face a prison sentence exceeding 40 years. Bolsonaro denies any involvement in wrongdoing.
The raid occurred amid mounting tensions between the United States and Brazil, sparked by United States President, Donald Trump’s attempt to influence ongoing legal proceedings.
Trump, a longtime ally of Bolsonaro, has urged Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to intervene and halt the trial.
He threatened Brazil with a 50% tariff hike starting August 1, a move he publicly linked to what he termed a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro in a letter shared via his platform, Truth Social.
On April 3, 2025, President Lula responded to the tariff threat by emphasizing Brazil’s judicial independence and dismissing Trump’s interference as inappropriate.
Speaking to CNN in an exclusive interview on Thursday, Lula remarked, “The judiciary branch of power in Brazil is independent. The president of the Republic has no influence whatsoever,” adding, “Bolsonaro is not being judged personally. He is being judged by the acts he tried to organize a coup d’état.”
He further criticized Trump’s approach, saying, “Trump was not elected to be emperor of the world,” and argued that legal accountability cannot be bargained over trade policies.
“If the actions [Trump] took during the January 6 insurrection had been committed in Brazil, he would be standing trial in his country,” Lula added.
