Brazil’s federal police announced on Wednesday that they have conducted new raids and made arrests as part of an investigation into the January 8th riots in Brasilia, the country’s capital. These riots occurred when supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings.
In a statement, the police revealed that they have executed five arrest warrants and thirteen search-and-seizure warrants across three states and the Federal District, where Brasilia is situated. These warrants were issued by the Supreme Court.
The current raids mark the 19th phase of an operation that was initiated in mid-January to identify individuals involved in, financing, or encouraging the riots, during which a crowd invaded and vandalized the Congress, presidential palace, and Supreme Court.
Although the police did not disclose the names of the individuals targeted in the raids, they clarified that these people are being investigated for crimes including “violent abolition of the rule of law, coup d’état, qualified damage, criminal association, incitement, destruction and damage of specially protected property.”
Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Steven Grattan
