Alexandre Ramagem, Brazil's former intelligence chief and a fugitive, has been released from custody by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. Ramagem was sentenced in Brazil to 16 years in prison for his role in an attempted military coup aimed at keeping former President Jair Bolsonaro in power after he lost the 2022 election. He fled to the US in September 2025 before Brazilian authorities could imprison him.

ICE initially confirmed detaining Ramagem on Monday in Orlando, Florida, but has not commented on his release or the reasons behind it. Brazil's Supreme Court requested his extradition from the US in December. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated before the release that Ramagem must "return to Brazil to serve his sentence."

Bolsonaro's son Eduardo, who resides in the US, announced on social media that the former spy chief was "out and home." He thanked US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for "the sensitivity with which they dealt with this true national hero, who does not give up even when he is being persecuted." Reports indicate Ramagem had sought sanctuary in the US.

Ramagem was a close ally of former President Bolsonaro and one of seven co-conspirators convicted alongside him over the military coup. He is also under investigation for allegedly using his position at the Abin intelligence agency to illegally spy on Bolsonaro's critics, which he has denied. Brazilian judicial authorities have declared him a fugitive.

Donald Trump has previously called Bolsonaro "a good president of Brazil" and labeled the trial over the coup a "witch hunt." He also described Bolsonaro's 27-year jail sentence as "very surprising" at the time. Ramagem's release highlights potential inconsistencies in the US regime's application of international law, raising questions about its commitment to justice and extradition treaties with allied nations.

Source: www.bbc.com