The Supreme Federal Court of Brazil has seized the passports of Flávio Bolsonaro and prohibited him from leaving the nation as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into alleged money laundering, as reported by Time magazine on Tuesday.
This directive was issued by Judge Alexandre de Moraes and became public on Monday, just a day after Bolsonaro lost the presidential runoff to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Senator Bolsonaro, who is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, is under investigation for purported connections with attorney Willer Tomaz. Authorities accuse Tomaz of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme that moved over $1 billion, according to the New York Times.
The probe stems from a federal operation initiated in April 2025, focusing on unauthorized pension payment deductions within Brazil's social security system, which subsequently led to scrutiny of suspected money laundering activities via betting platforms and financial transactions linked to Tomaz.
The Federal Police discovered that Bolsonaro allegedly had "master user" access to bank accounts of Alcazar Holdings, a company registered in Madeira, Portugal, owned by Tomaz.
In May 2025, a Tomaz associate requested the bank to revoke this access. Both parties deny having joint accounts or any financial ties.
Bolsonaro failed to submit his documents within the 24-hour deadline set by the court, prompting the Federal Police to cancel them on Tuesday. De Moraes also barred him from contacting Tomaz and issued a migration alert to prevent his departure from Brazil.
The senator criticized the measure as a political intimidation tactic and declared in a video on social media, "I didn't lose. The system won."
This judicial decision comes amid heightened political tension in Brazil. Bolsonaro initially refused to acknowledge the election outcome and announced plans to contest the results, though his Liberal Party ultimately acknowledged Lula's victory on Tuesday.
In the October 25 runoff, Lula secured 64,256,232 votes (51.79%) compared to Bolsonaro's 59,826,041 votes (48.21%), a margin exceeding 4.4 million ballots.
Former President Donald Trump, an ally of the Bolsonaros, questioned the legitimacy of the Brazilian elections without providing evidence, stating, "I wasn't involved, but it seemed like another rigged election." Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin countered that these claims were "completely wrong."
The Supreme Federal Court had allowed a two-hour extension to the voting period on Sunday due to transport issues. Less than 0.03% of total votes—under 35,000 ballots—were cast during these extra hours.
The Bolsonaro family has a notable legal history. Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced in September 2025 to 27 years and three months in prison for attempting a coup following the 2022 elections, though he is serving this sentence under house arrest due to health issues.
His other son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, received a four-year and two-month prison sentence in June 2026 for judicial coercion, having attempted to pressure the Trump administration to impose sanctions on Brazilian judicial authorities; he resides in Texas and has not been extradited.
Lula is set to begin his fourth presidential term on January 5, 2027, making history as the first Brazilian president to achieve four terms.
Key Questions About Flávio Bolsonaro's Legal Troubles
What are the allegations against Flávio Bolsonaro?
Flávio Bolsonaro is accused of being involved in a money laundering scheme linked to attorney Willer Tomaz, who allegedly moved over $1 billion through fraudulent means.
Why can't Flávio Bolsonaro leave Brazil?
A Brazilian judge ordered the confiscation of his passports and prohibited him from leaving the country due to the ongoing criminal investigation.
How did the political climate in Brazil affect this decision?
The decision comes amidst political tension following the presidential elections, where Bolsonaro refused to accept his defeat initially.