Alexandre Ramagem, Brazil’s former intelligence agency chief who was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in a 2023 coup attempt, was released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in Florida on Wednesday after a two-day detention, the Associated Press reported. Ramagem thanked President Donald Trump in posts on his social media channels for the release, though he provided no evidence that Trump had any connection to the move. ICE did not respond to the AP’s request for comment.
The case spotlights how U.S. immigration authorities handle detentions of foreign nationals who have been convicted of crimes abroad and have sought political asylum in the United States. Ramagem had filed for asylum before this week’s arrest; that application had not been decided at the time of his release.
Conviction and flight
A Brazilian court sentenced Ramagem in September to 16 years in prison for his role in the January 8, 2023 attack on government buildings in Brasília by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Ramagem served as director of Brazil’s domestic intelligence agency under Bolsonaro.
Ramagem fled Brazil before he would have begun serving his sentence. Brazil’s congress stripped him of his legislative seat in December as a consequence of the conviction.
Arrest and release
ICE arrested Ramagem on Monday in Florida. That same day, Brazilian senator Jorge Seif told the U.S. embassy in Brasília that his political ally should not remain in custody, saying Ramagem was allegedly being persecuted at home. Local media reported that Ramagem was released late Wednesday.
In his social media posts, Ramagem said his release “did not require any bail payment, which is common in migration cases” like his. He offered no documentation for his claims about Trump’s involvement.
Ramagem appeared in ICE’s online detainee database as in custody on Monday. ICE gave no public explanation for the release.