Former Brazilian Spy Chief Alexandre Ramagem Released from ICE Custody

Thu Apr 16 2026 14:06:11 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Alexandre Ramagem, Brazil's ex-spy chief, has been released from detention by U.S. immigration authorities despite a 16-year prison sentence awaiting him in Brazil for his involvement in an attempted coup.

Alexandre Ramagem, the former head of Brazil's intelligence agency, has been released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Ramagem, who fled to the U.S. after being sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in an attempted coup to retain former President Jair Bolsonaro in power, was detained by ICE but is now free. Brazilian authorities have requested his extradition as he remains a fugitive.

Former Brazilian Spy Chief Alexandre Ramagem Released from ICE Custody

Brazil's fugitive former spy chief Alexandre Ramagem has been released from custody by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).

ICE confirmed it had detained Ramagem on Monday, but has not said why. The 53-year-old's name no longer appears on the agency's list of those in its custody, BBC News Brasil has confirmed.

He is wanted in Brazil, where he was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in an attempted military coup aimed at keeping former President Jair Bolsonaro in power after he lost the 2022 election.

Ramagem, who led Brazil's intelligence agency (Abin), fled to the US in September 2025 before he could be jailed by Brazilian authorities.

Bolsonaro's son Eduardo, who lives in the US, announced that the former intelligence chief was out and home. Ramagem expressed gratitude towards US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, thanking them for the sensitivity with which they dealt with this true national hero, who does not give up even when he is being persecuted.

Brazilian media reported he had been let go on Wednesday, but ICE has not commented on the circumstances of his release following his detention in Orlando, Florida.

A close ally of former President Bolsonaro, Ramagem was convicted alongside him over the military coup and is also implicated in allegations of illegal spying on Bolsonaro's critics, which he denies.

Brazilian judicial authorities have labeled him a fugitive, and in December, the country's supreme court requested his extradition from the US. President Lula has stated he must return to Brazil to serve his sentence.

Trump has previously referred to Bolsonaro as a good president of Brazil and criticized the trial over the coup as a witch hunt.