Former Brazilian Intelligence Chief Thanks US Government After Being Released by ICE

Alexandre Ramagem, a former chief of the Brazilian intelligence agency and a close ally of former President Jair Bolsonaro, was released from detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on April 16.

In a video posted on YouTube, Ramagem thanked people at the top of the Trump administration for his release, though there is no evidence that any political influence was used to secure his release.

“I am here to thank the American government, from the highest echelons of the Trump administration to the people who were already aware of our situation,” Ramagem said.

In a post on X, Ramagem said: “I want to thank everyone who rooted for us and prayed for us and are by our side, which is the side of true justice.

“I entered the United States in September of last year in a perfectly legal manner, with a valid passport and a valid visa and no convictions whatsoever. Following that we filed a request for asylum.”

He said ICE had checked his paperwork and released him.

“There wasn’t even a bail payment, which is common in these immigration cases,” he said.

Ramagem criticized the director general of the Brazilian Federal Police, Andrei Rodrigues, who he said had called the Bolsonaro supporters who besieged the parliament in Brasilia on Jan. 8, 2024, “despicable terrorists” but did not want to classify organized crime groups like PCC [First Capital Command] and Comando Vermelho [Red Command] as terrorists.

Ramagem was chief of the ABIN intelligence agency from 2019 until 2022, when he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies, representing Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party.

In September 2025, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in an attempted coup in 2023 by Bolsonaro supporters. His congressional seat was later declared vacant. Brazilian authorities said Ramagem fled the South American nation before he would have started serving his sentence.

‘Misunderstanding’ Resolved

In a post on X on April 16, Bolsonaro’s son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who is running for the presidency in the election later this year, wrote: “It was just a matter of time until Ramagem was free and all this misunderstanding was resolved. Stay strong, Ramagem. We’re always on your side.”

Flávio Bolsonaro thanked “everyone who helped in this case,” citing in particular his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro, who lives in the United States, and another ally, Paulo Figueiredo, who is based in Florida.

“The time of injustices is nearing its end,” Flávio Bolsonaro added.

Brazil is due to hold presidential elections in October 2026, with the winner taking office in January 2027.

In a post on Instagram, Eduardo Bolsonaro wrote, “Ramagem is free and already at home.”

“I especially thank President Trump and Secretary [of State] Marco Rubio for their sensitivity in handling the case of this true national hero, who, even when persecuted, did not give up,” he wrote.

Eduardo Bolsonaro said Ramagem deserved asylum in the United States, along with his “brave wife” Rebeca and their “beautiful daughters.”

Brazil’s federal police said in an April 13 statement that a “fugitive of the country’s justice was arrested” in Orlando, but did not mention Ramagem by name. Police said the unnamed fugitive was recently sentenced by the country’s top court for the same three counts as Ramagem’s conviction.

“The arrest stemmed from international police cooperation between the Federal Police and U.S. law enforcement authorities,” Brazilian authorities said. “The prisoner is considered a fugitive from Brazilian justice after conviction for the crimes of armed criminal organization, coup d’état, and attempted violent abolition of the rule of law.”

The Epoch Times reached out to ICE for comment, but did not receive a response by publication time.

Bolsonaro was convicted and sentenced to 27 years in jail in September 2025.

The Epoch Times was unable to verify the reason for Ramagem’s arrest, or whether it was related to Brazil’s request to extradite him.

In an April 13 post on X, Figueiredo said Ramagem was ‌detained after a “minor traffic infraction” in Orlando, and then referred to ICE.

“Ramagem’s status is legal: he has a pending asylum application, filed some time ago and still under review, which allows him to remain lawfully in the United States until a final decision is made in the case,” Figueiredo said.

The trials of Bolsonaro and Ramagem stemmed from the aftermath of the 2022 Brazilian presidential election, which included attacks on government buildings by Bolsonaro’s supporters.

Bolsonaro and his aides denied any involvement and said that they were the target of political persecution under the administration of his former competitor, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, or Lula.

Lula, on April 14, called ‌on Ramagem to return to Brazil to serve his sentence.

“I believe Ramagem will come back to Brazil, he ​has to come ​back to serve his sentence,” Lula ‌said ⁠in an interview with local media.

During Bolsonaro’s trial, U.S. President Donald Trump referred to it as a “witch hunt” and said Bolsonaro was not guilty of anything, except having fought for the people.

Bolsonaro started his prison sentence in November 2025 but was released to house arrest last month after suffering a bout of pneumonia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.