Search of Jair Bolsonaro’s Mansion Yields No Weapons

On Wednesday, officials from Brazil’s Federal Police conducted a search at the mansion of former President Jair Bolsonaro, looking for weapons and ammunition, but found nothing at all.

This search was ordered by Judge Alexandre de Moraes from Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court. He had recently mandated a wide-ranging search of all firearms registered in Bolsonaro’s name, even though Bolsonaro’s attorneys claimed that all weapons had already been accounted for.

De Moraes allegedly justified this inquiry by stating there were “discrepancies” between the registered firearms and those that Bolsonaro had surrendered during legal challenges. There’s a consensus that judges at the STF have been leading efforts against Bolsonaro, initiating multiple legal actions against both him and his family.

Currently, Bolsonaro is under a 27-year sentence for “crimes against democracy,” serving his time under strict house arrest at his residence in Brasilia. Health issues prompted a temporary adjustment to his house arrest this year after he experienced serious complications from bacterial pneumonia.

Despite the judge’s assertions, Bolsonaro’s legal representative, João Enrique Nascimento de Freitas, took to social media to confirm that the police found no weapons during the search of the former president’s official residence.

He stated, “I have just left the official residence of President Jair Bolsonaro. The federal police search and seizure operation ordered by Judge Alexandre de Moraes was executed today. The warrant aimed to find weapons, ammunition, and documentation. The defense already disclosed the locations of all firearms.” He concluded that it was unfortunate for the former president to still be subjected to such measures.

Due to his house arrest conditions, Bolsonaro is prohibited from commenting on the situation publicly, limiting his ability to communicate with the press or use any digital platforms.

An anonymous source from the Federal Police confirmed that nothing was taken during the operation, as reported to The Associated Press. The police reportedly executed the search for about an hour and a half. According to official documents, no firearms were found at Bolsonaro’s home.

Various Brazilian media outlets noted that Bolsonaro has ten registered firearms, including two that were handed over to federal authorities in April 2023. It was also disclosed that those two firearms had been under police control for the last three years.

A local military police battalion reported that six out of the ten firearms were in their custody until recently when they were passed on to federal police.

Among the firearms, a Glock pistol and a shotgun were identified as the last two remaining. Judge de Moraes had given federal police a 48-hour window to find and collect these items.

Bolsonaro’s legal representatives mentioned that the Glock pistol, claimed to have gone missing, was confiscated in June from a vehicle driven by a member of his security team. It’s suggested that this weapon was inoperable and was held by the security personnel for maintenance.

As for the shotgun, it was reported to have never been in Bolsonaro’s possession; instead, it had been with an arms import company. The shotgun was eventually seized on Wednesday after someone contacted the police for its recovery, citing a lack of proper permits for transport.

Flavio Bolsonaro, a senator and Jair Bolsonaro’s son, voiced his concerns about the raid on social media, referring to it as a “clear smokescreen” to distract from other issues and decrying the ongoing “relentless persecution” of his father.

A Brazilian senator has expressed doubts regarding the motives behind the search, implying that Judge de Moraes lacks trust in Bolsonaro’s legal team. The senator emphasized that the police’s search order undermined the constitutional presumption of innocence and described the situation as “embarrassing” for the Bolsonaro family.