Argentine authorities have ordered the arrest of 61 Brazilian citizens wanted for their role in the January 2023 storming of government buildings in Brasilia, with two suspects already in custody, a judicial source told Reuters Saturday on condition of anonymity.
The arrests follow Brazil’s extradition request last month for participants in the riots, when thousands of supporters of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro invaded and vandalized Congress, the presidential palace, and the Supreme Court a week after leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office.
Brazilian federal police estimate between 50 and 100 riot suspects fled to Argentina, seeking refuge under right-wing President Javier Milei’s government. Many face heavy sentences from Brazil’s Supreme Court for vandalism and insurrection charges.
Senator Hamilton Mourao, Bolsonaro’s former vice president, previously defended the fugitives, saying they fled because they didn’t believe they would receive fair trials in Brazil. The riots, which paralleled the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack by Trump supporters, led to approximately 3,000 arrests in Brazil, with half remaining in custody.
The manhunt comes as Brazil faces renewed political tension following an attempted bomb attack on its Supreme Court last week, an incident that has strengthened congressional opposition to proposed amnesty for the 2023 rioters.
The coordinated law enforcement action highlights growing cooperation between South American nations in addressing political violence, even as ideological differences between their governments persist.
