Flávio Bolsonaro has reportedly fled to the United States amid investigations by Brazilian authorities into alleged financial crimes tied to betting companies.
Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued an order that mandated Bolsonaro to surrender both his civilian and diplomatic passports. Alongside this, Moraes prohibited the senator from leaving Brazil, following a request by the Federal Police related to an ongoing probe into money laundering and tax evasion.
The investigations allege that Bolsonaro was involved in a concealed partnership with lawyer Willer Tomaz, who is also currently under scrutiny for similar activities. On Tuesday, Bolsonaro's associates learned that he had left Brazil for the U.S.
Authorities are investigating accusations against Bolsonaro and Tomaz, who were alleged to be the master users of an account at Santander Bank. While both men denied these claims, a message was found where Tomaz requested that Bolsonaro be removed from the account credentials.
Tomaz is the majority shareholder of Cathedral Holdings, a company based in Portugal, and holds sole ownership of Rede Loto, which manages BestBet and two other licensed betting brands in Rio de Janeiro. Reports indicate that Bolsonaro was a silent partner in these betting operations.
The betting site reportedly operated for nearly two years and generated revenue exceeding BRL360,000 ($67,275). While this site consistently paid its BRL5 million state license fee, it did not conduct any advertising campaigns or further commercial activity. Contrarily, Tomaz allegedly handled over BRL10 billion in sports bets through Blaze and was labeled by the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets as Brazil's leading gambler.
The Federal Police have also linked Bolsonaro to financial offenses associated with funding a film about his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted for an attempted coup.
Reports of Bolsonaro's flight surfaced via UOL, indicating he was en route to the U.S. Sources connected to both the Trump administration and Bolsonaro's family have confirmed awareness of his departure, although the State Department has not issued an official statement. Brazilian media suggests the Trump administration may offer asylum to the senator.
Due to developments since early Tuesday and the senator's failure to surrender his passports by 11 a.m., the Federal Police revoked them and made this known to Justice de Moraes. Initial reports from the Argentinian news outlet Infobae stated that Bolsonaro crossed into Argentina with an identification card and intended to fly from Puerto Iguazú to the United States.
He allegedly traversed the Tancredo Neves bridge on foot, linking Foz do Iguaçu in Paraná with Puerto Iguazú in Misiones, Argentina. A flight waiting at the airport had not taken off as one passenger remained unaccounted for; it is unclear who this individual was or their plan to reach the U.S. Notably, there are no official records of Bolsonaro exiting Brazil through legal channels. The day before the election, his brother Eduardo, who has also fled to the U.S., suggested that Flávio should leave for the U.S. in the event of an election defeat.
As investigations continue, Bolsonaro faced an electoral loss to Lula. While he was under investigation during his parliamentary term, he enjoyed privileged jurisdiction, shielding him from prosecution. With the election behind him, any pending matters will continue to be addressed by the Supreme Federal Court. A ruling from 2025 asserts that crimes committed during presidential terms remain within the STF's jurisdiction, meaning Bolsonaro’s legal troubles are far from over.
