A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has issued an arrest warrant for Eduardo Bolsonaro, the brother of presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro. The order, released Thursday by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, comes just weeks before the country’s presidential runoff election between incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro.
The decision intensifies an already polarized political climate ahead of the October 25 vote. Justice Moraes ruled that Eduardo Bolsonaro must begin serving his four-year sentence immediately. In his ruling, Moraes stated that the defendant could not benefit from fleeing the nation to avoid criminal prosecution.
The warrant follows a June conviction in which Eduardo Bolsonaro was found guilty of lobbying the United States to interfere in the legal proceedings against his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. Specifically, he was convicted of seeking sanctions against Brazilian government officials and pushing for higher tariffs on Brazilian exports during his father’s trial.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, who holds a US green card and resides in Texas, played a significant role as a liaison between his brother and the Trump administration. He accompanied Flavio Bolsonaro to a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in May.
His legal troubles began earlier when he moved to the United States in March 2025, pledging to dedicate himself fully to securing the release of Jair Bolsonaro. That move resulted in the loss of his seat in the National Congress and his position as a federal police investigator.
Justice Moraes, whom the Bolsonaro family views as a political adversary, previously oversaw the investigation that led to Jair Bolsonaro’s sentencing in September 2025 to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup. In addition to the arrest warrant, Moraes revoked Eduardo Bolsonaro’s Brazilian passport and directed federal police to detain him should he return to the country.
Wait, so Flavio Bolsonaro is running against Lula, but his brother is in legal trouble? This complicates the family dynamic considerably.
Finally, some accountability! Lobbying a foreign power to interfere in domestic courts should have consequences. Good riddance to this chaos.
Does this mean he can’t campaign if he’s in prison? How does a convicted felon run for president from a cell?
I find it ironic that Justice Moraes is seen as political by some while he’s strictly enforcing the law. Due process matters for everyone.
This is huge news. Arresting a candidate’s brother weeks before the runoff? The polarization in Brazil is reaching a fever pitch.