Silvinei Vasques, former chief of Brazil's highway police and convicted accomplice in the 2023 effort to overturn Brazil's presidential election, was arrested at Asunción's Silvio Pettirossi Airport after allegedly impersonating a Paraguayan to evade immigration controls. He was attempting to board a flight to Panama with El Salvador as his declared final destination and was expelled to Brazil at the Friendship Bridge. Vasques had been sentenced to more than 24 years to be served under house arrest and reportedly removed his electronic ankle monitor before fleeing.
Ex-Brazilian Police Chief Silvinei Vasques Arrested in Paraguay While Trying To Flee to El Salvador
Brazilian former police chief Silvinei Vasques following his arrest at the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Paraguay's capital Asuncion [Handout: Paraguay's National Directorate of Migration]
Silvinei Vasques, a former chief of Brazil’s highway police and a convicted accomplice in the 2023 attempt to overturn Brazil’s presidential election, was arrested at Asunción’s Silvio Pettirossi International Airport after allegedly trying to impersonate a Paraguayan citizen to evade immigration controls, Paraguay’s National Directorate of Migration (DNM) said.
The DNM said Vasques was detained on Friday while attempting to board a flight to Panama with El Salvador declared as his final destination. Authorities charged him with "identity theft" after he was discovered using false identity documentation. Paraguayan migration officials shared an image on X showing Vasques at the point of arrest, and a video later showed him handed over to Brazilian federal police at the Friendship Bridge border crossing linking Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) and Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil).
Vasques, 50, had been sentenced earlier this month to more than 24 years in prison to be served under house arrest after being convicted of assisting efforts to block voters in left-leaning districts during the 2022 election won by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He was arrested in 2023 and released under electronic monitoring while awaiting trial; Brazilian media reported he removed or broke his ankle monitor before fleeing the country.
Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Vasques' preventive detention as a precautionary measure following the arrest, Reuters reported. Vasques' lawyer declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
Context
Vasques’ capture follows other high-profile escape attempts tied to the 2023 coup case. Former intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem left Brazil and has been reported to reside in the United States after the Supreme Court ordered his arrest. Former President Jair Bolsonaro was also ordered detained after attempting to remove a court-ordered ankle monitor; Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence after being convicted of leading the scheme to block Lula’s inauguration. Bolsonaro recently underwent hospital surgery for a hernia.
DNM statement: "The National Directorate of Migration expelled Silvinei Vasques (50) from the country and handed him over to Brazilian Federal Police authorities at the Friendship Bridge border crossing."
