Brazil’s defeated candidate arrived in Florida with his family after ignoring a Supreme Court order to hand over his passports, while Washington says visas will be issued.
Tamrah News Desk | October 28, 2026
Flavio Bolsonaro lands in Miami on Wednesday after losing Brazil’s presidential election, arriving with his wife and two daughters after he did not surrender his travel documents to the Brazil Supreme Court. A State Department official told CBS News the family would receive US visas. Bolsonaro is the subject of a money laundering investigation and a corruption inquiry, which he denies, according to the Financial Times.
Flavio Bolsonaro Lands in Miami After a Route Through Argentina and Ecuador
The Associated Press reported that Bolsonaro landed at Miami Opa Locka Executive Airport on Wednesday morning, after Argentina’s migration authority said the family passed through Argentina and then Ecuador. The Irish Times, citing the flight plan, said they boarded a private flight bound for Guayaquil on Tuesday. TV images showed Bolsonaro, his wife and daughters leaving a Gulfstream G400 jet. CNN reported that Argentina’s government first said it had no record of him entering the country. An Argentine government spokesman told AP that no asylum request had been made.
Brazil Presidential Election Result and the Bolsonaro Passports Order
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the Brazil presidential election runoff on October 25 by about 52 percent to 48 percent, the Financial Times and Reuters reported. CNN put his lead at more than 4.4 million votes. Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his regular and diplomatic passports, according to a sealed order seen by AP. The deadline expired at noon on Tuesday. Federal Police then cancelled the Bolsonaro passports, the Irish Times reported. Alexandre de Moraes also imposed the Bolsonaro travel ban and convicted Jair Bolsonaro last year.
Will Flavio Bolsonaro Be Arrested?
CNN reported that no arrest warrant existed when Bolsonaro left Brazil, though legal analysts said defying the order to surrender the Bolsonaro passports could be enough for one to be issued. A source close to him told CNN he feared arrest. CBS News reported that he has not conceded defeat and has made unsubstantiated claims of election fraud. No warrant had been announced in the coverage Tamrah News reviewed at the time of writing. Readers can follow Brazil election news for earlier developments.
US Visas and the Trump Administration’s Response
CNN cited two US officials who said the US visas were being issued to Bolsonaro and his family. President Donald Trump told reporters,
“Well, I would approve,”
according to Reuters reporting carried by the Irish Times. The same report said Trump criticized the Brazil presidential election and said he had not taken sides. It added that the Trump administration has not yet formally recognized Lula’s victory, and that the US visas and Bolsonaro’s presence are likely to strain relations between Brasília and Washington.
Money Laundering Investigation Behind the Travel Ban
The Financial Times said Bolsonaro faces two police probes. One concerns links to the alleged mastermind of a $10 billion bank collapse, and the other concerns suspected money laundering involving a friend. AP described the Brazil Supreme Court inquiry as covering alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion, including claims that a sports betting company was used to launder pension deductions. CNN described the allegations as corruption, money laundering and currency evasion. Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing, and supporters say he is a victim of political persecution, according to the Financial Times. The same report said his father is serving a sentence of 27 years, currently at home on health grounds, and his brother Eduardo lives in Texas. Alexandre de Moraes remains the justice central to the case.
Lula and Allies React
Lula, who turned 81 on Tuesday, called the departure shameful and questioned why someone would leave the country after losing an election, the Financial Times reported. Senator Rogério Marinho, who coordinated the campaign, said he had not been told in advance but understood the decision. He said Federal Police requested the passport seven minutes after the result was announced.
Conclusion
The story now turns on whether the Brazil Supreme Court responds to the missed deadline and how Washington handles the US visas. For now, the Bolsonaro travel ban, the money laundering investigation and the disputed Brazil presidential election remain at the center of the dispute. Readers searching for the latest can look up Flavio Bolsonaro Miami, Flavio Bolsonaro US visa, Bolsonaro passports, Alexandre de Moraes, Bolsonaro travel ban and Lula da Silva.
