Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has issued an arrest warrant for Eduardo Bolsonaro, brother of presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro, a move expected to heighten tensions in the race for the country's highest office.
According to Al Jazeera, the warrant was issued on Thursday, just weeks before the decisive runoff between incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro, who is widely seen as the candidate most likely to win.
In June, Brazil's Supreme Court convicted Eduardo Bolsonaro on charges of lobbying for U.S. interference in the trial of his father, former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro.
Eduardo Bolsonaro had served as a key bridge between his brother and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, having attended a meeting with Trump at the White House in May.
Both sides of Brazil's deeply polarized political landscape have long accused each other of corruption and of exploiting the judicial system for political ends, amid escalating tensions ahead of the October 25 vote.
Lobbying in the United States
In March 2025, Eduardo Bolsonaro announced he would relocate permanently to the United States to devote "100 percent of his energy" to the goal of freeing his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro.
The decision cost him his seat in Brazil's Congress and his position as a federal investigator.
The 42-year-old now lives in Texas and holds a U.S. permanent resident green card.
He was convicted of lobbying to impose sanctions on members of the Brazilian government and to raise tariffs on the country's exports during his father's trial.
Supreme Court Justice
Justice de Moraes, whom the Bolsonaro family regards as a political enemy, presided over the investigation that led to former President Jair Bolsonaro's 27-year prison sentence in September 2025 on charges of plotting a coup.
In his ruling, the justice stated that Eduardo Bolsonaro must begin serving his four-year sentence immediately.
"The defendant cannot benefit from his own wrongdoing by leaving the national territory for an unknown location in order to obstruct the application of criminal law," de Moraes said.
Justice de Moraes also revoked Eduardo Bolsonaro's Brazilian passport and directed the country's federal police to arrest him if he returns to Brazil.
