Former Brazil spy chief arrested by ICE in the United States

Former Brazilian intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem has been detained by ICE in the United States, the agency reported on its website on Monday, after he fled Brazil in September following his conviction for plotting a coup with President Jair Bolsonaro.

Ramagem, a former Federal Police inspector, was sentenced to over 16 years in prison for his role in a plot to overturn leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's 2022 election victory over Bolsonaro.

He has long maintained his innocence. Paulo Figueiredo, a Bolsonaro ally who lives in the US, said on X that Ramagem was arrested for a minor traffic violation.

Reuters could not verify the reason for his arrest, or if it was related to Brazil's request to extradite him.

The case against Bolsonaro, a far-right leader, drew the ire of US President Donald Trump, who used it to justify steep tariffs on Brazilian imports last year.

Trump's reaction did little to derail the case, which ended in September last year with 29 convictions, including Bolsonaro's, who is now serving a 27-year sentence. Trump later lifted many of the tariffs he had imposed.

As the head of Brazil's intelligence agency under Bolsonaro administration, starting in 2019, Ramagem was accused of investigating the former president's critics and providing information to help him discredit Brazil's electoral system.