Brazilian Supreme Court Orders Arrest of Eduardo Bolsonaro, Brother of Presidential Candidate Flávio Bolsonaro

Brazilian Supreme Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Eduardo Bolsonaro Over Trump Administration Lobbying

A Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for former lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, brother of presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, ordering him to begin serving a four-year prison sentence for lobbying the Trump administration to impose sanctions on Brazilian officials and increase tariffs on the country’s exports.

The 42-year-old Eduardo Bolsonaro, who has been living in Texas since 2025 and holds a US green card, was convicted in June over his efforts to influence Washington during the trial of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup.

Eduardo Bolsonaro’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Members of the Trump administration have not publicly commented on his conviction.

The arrest warrant was issued by Justice Alexandre de Moraes less than three weeks before Brazil’s presidential runoff between incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro. Eduardo has played a significant role in connecting his brother’s campaign with the Trump administration.

De Moraes also ordered the cancellation of Eduardo Bolsonaro’s Brazilian passport and instructed federal police to arrest him if he returns to the country. In his ruling, the justice said the former lawmaker could not avoid punishment by leaving Brazil to prevent the enforcement of criminal law.

Eduardo Bolsonaro’s extended absence from Brazil has already cost him his seat in the National Congress and his position as a federal police investigator.

Extradition to Brazil faces legal hurdles

Although Brazil and the United States signed an extradition treaty in 1961, legal experts say securing Eduardo Bolsonaro’s return could prove difficult and would require approval from the Trump administration.

Raphael Vieira da Fonseca Rocha, a law professor at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, said an extradition request could be unlikely to succeed. He suggested that pursuing such a request through diplomatic channels might weaken the Supreme Court’s position, adding that the passport cancellation appeared to be a way of putting pressure on Eduardo Bolsonaro.

Joao Pedro Padua, a law professor at Fluminense Federal University, said the offence of coercion in judicial proceedings is not included among the crimes listed in the US-Brazil extradition treaty. He argued that the United States would therefore have no legal basis to extradite Eduardo Bolsonaro.

Padua also pointed to a jurisdictional issue, noting that Eduardo was in the United States when he committed the acts that led to his conviction in Brazil.

Eduardo Bolsonaro’s role in his brother’s campaign

Eduardo Bolsonaro helped strengthen Flávio Bolsonaro’s presidential campaign by taking his brother to the White House on May 26 for a meeting with US President Donald Trump.

The meeting came as Flávio Bolsonaro faced scrutiny over his acknowledged links to a disgraced banker. At the time, analysts said the controversy could pose a challenge to his presidential bid.

Eduardo’s connections with the Trump administration have since remained a significant element of the Bolsonaro family’s political ties with Washington.