Flávio Bolsonaro was reportedly heading to the United States after Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) ordered him to surrender his civilian and diplomatic passports and barred him from leaving the country. The restrictions were requested by the Federal Police as part of investigations into suspected money laundering, tax evasion and other financial crimes.
Allies of the senator, who lost the presidential election to Lula last weekend, were reportedly told on Tuesday, 27 October, that he had left Brazil. The accounts of his route differed, and there was no record of him leaving through official channels.
Betting company allegations
Investigators allege that Bolsonaro had an undisclosed partnership in betting businesses allegedly used for financial crimes, together with lawyer Willer Tomaz, who is also under investigation. Both men have denied claims that they were master users of an account at Santander Bank. The Federal Police said they found a message in which Tomaz asked the bank to remove Bolsonaro from the account’s master user credentials.
Tomaz is the majority shareholder of Portugal-based Cathedral Holdings and the sole shareholder of Rede Loto, which controls BestBet and two other brands licensed in Rio de Janeiro. Flávio Bolsonaro was described as a silent partner in the betting companies.
The betting site operated for almost two years and recorded revenue of just over BRL360,000 ($67,275). It paid BRL5 million for a Rio de Janeiro state licence but ran no advertising campaigns or other commercial activity. Separately, Tomaz moved more than BRL10 billion in sports bets on Blaze. The Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) identified him as Brazil’s biggest gambler.
The Federal Police have also accused Bolsonaro of financial crimes connected to financing a film about his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted of an attempted coup.
Conflicting reports on his departure
One account said Flávio Bolsonaro crossed into Argentina on foot using his ID card, over the Tancredo Neves bridge linking Foz do Iguaçu in Paraná with Puerto Iguazú in Misiones. He was then reportedly due to fly to the US from Puerto Iguazú, but the plane did not take off because a passenger was missing. It was not clear who the passenger was or how Bolsonaro would continue his journey. Other reports suggested he may have left Brazil through Venezuela.
A US source close to the Trump administration and Bolsonaro’s family said they were “aware of the departure”. The State Department had not commented, while reports in Brazil said the Trump administration would grant asylum to the senator. The Federal Police canceled Bolsonaro’s passports after he had not surrendered them by 11am on Tuesday and notified Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Cases remain with the Supreme Court
Bolsonaro was already under investigation, with the cases remaining in the STF after his term as senator ends. A 2025 court decision established that the STF retains jurisdiction over crimes committed while authorities are in office or connected to their official duties. The Brazilian Constitution bars presidents from prosecution for crimes committed outside their term.
