Flávio Bolsonaro, Brazilian senator and far-right presidential candidate, is at the center of a police investigation after authorities suspected he had left Brazil for the United States. The Federal Police are seeking to clarify how he was able to leave the country after the Supreme Court prohibited him from traveling abroad and ordered him to surrender his passports.
The situation occurred just two days after his electoral defeat against Lula da Silva. On Sunday, October 25, Lula won the second round with 51.79% of the votes, compared to Flávio's 48.21%. After losing the elections, the far-right candidate questioned the result and accused his rival of buying votes, without providing evidence to support these accusations.
I can confirm that @FlavioBolsonaro is no longer in Brazil and is on his way to the United States.
— Simón Levy (@SimonLevyMx) October 27, 2026
A US protective operation is underway to ensure his safety.
On Monday, October 26, Federal Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Flávio to surrender his passport within 24 hours and prohibited him from leaving Brazil. However, the senator did not meet the deadline, and Brazilian authorities annulled his travel documents this Tuesday. Cadena SER reported, citing Reuters, that a U.S. official stated that Flávio was traveling on a plane bound for the United States. The Brazilian Federal Police are investigating whether he crossed the border into Argentina to take a private flight from Puerto Iguazú. Nevertheless, Argentine authorities stated that they had no record of his entry into the country, and it had not yet been officially clarified how he would have left Brazil.
Why are they investigating Flávio Bolsonaro and what does his electoral defeat have to do with it?
The possible departure from Brazil occurs while Flávio Bolsonaro faces two judicial investigations. One of them examines possible money laundering and currency evasion operations related to betting platforms and financial movements linked to lawyer Willer Tomaz, with whom the senator maintains a personal and business relationship. The other investigation focuses on the financing of Dark Horse, a biographical film about his father, Jair Bolsonaro's political career. The Federal Police are analyzing Flávio's possible involvement in obtaining funds from former banker Daniel Vorcaro, former owner of Banco Master.
These investigations do not amount to a conviction against the senator but help to understand why authorities considered it necessary to prevent him from leaving the country. The judicial order was issued due to the risk of a possible escape, a concern that several Brazilian deputies had also expressed. Among them is Duda Salabert, from the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL), who celebrated Alexandre de Moraes' decision on social media after requesting that the senator's passport be withheld. Rogério Correia, from the Workers' Party (PT), and Otoni de Paula, from the Social Democratic Party (PSD), also participated in the petition.
Flávio's brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, had argued days earlier that he should leave Brazil if he lost the elections. "If my brother doesn't win, I am in favor of him leaving the country, of course," he stated in an interview. That statement was cited by the judge as one of the elements justifying the risk of flight.
Flávio, for his part, denied that he intended to leave. "I never thought about leaving the country. I am going to hand over my passports and I am going to defend myself against this aberration," he assured in a video published on social media. He also accused the judge of acting for political reasons. The contradiction between these statements and the failure to meet the judicial deadline has increased doubts about his situation. Justice will have to determine if he left Brazil and if he deliberately disobeyed the order to hand over his documents.
Jair Bolsonaro, the father convicted for the attempted coup d'état
The controversy once again places the Bolsonaro family in the spotlight. Jair Bolsonaro, former president of Brazil between 2019 and 2022, is under house arrest after the Supreme Court sentenced him to 27 years and three months in prison for his participation in a coup plot after the 2022 elections. The Supreme Court considered it proven that the former president participated in a conspiracy aimed at preventing Lula from assuming the presidency after winning those elections. The conviction included crimes such as attempted coup d'état, armed criminal organization, and attack against the democratic rule of law. Bolsonaro has rejected the accusations and has denounced political persecution.
During his mandate, Jair Bolsonaro maintained a constant confrontation with institutions and repeatedly questioned the reliability of the Brazilian electoral system. After losing to Lula in 2022, his followers carried out the assault on the headquarters of the three powers in Brasília on January 8, 2023, an episode that led to a broad judicial investigation. His son Flávio has followed an ultraconservative political line and has maintained the discourse of confrontation with Lula and the Supreme Court. After losing the elections on October 25, he insisted on questioning the result and announced that he would organize the opposition to the new Government.
The family's situation also affects Eduardo Bolsonaro, who has resided in the United States since 2025 and has defended pressures against Brazilian authorities for the judicial processes opened against his father. His stay abroad and his statements about a possible departure of Flávio have fueled investigators' suspicions. Now, the senator faces a situation that goes beyond electoral defeat: the annulment of his passports, inquiries into his movements, and financial investigations that remain open. The Federal Police are trying to reconstruct his movements and determine if he violated the judicial prohibition against leaving Brazil.
The question that remains unanswered is how he was able to reach the United States if Brazilian authorities had prohibited him from leaving the country. Until his movements are clarified, the possible escape will continue to be one of the main focuses of the investigation.
