Former President Jair Bolsonaro is under investigation by Brazilian police for allegedly trying to overturn the results of the 2022 election.
Bolsonaro himself is not considered a target, but his homes and offices were searched on Thursday. Also, he was ordered to turn over his passport, according to Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
The subjects of the police searches, 33 in total, include running mate Gen. Walter Braga Netto, former Gen. Augusto Heleno, a former adviser, former Justice Minister Anderson Torres, and Liberal Party head Valdemar Costa Neto.
Four preventative arrest warrants were issued as well. One of which was for the special adviser on international affairs, Filipe Martins. Bolsonaro's attorney, Fabio Wajngarten said his client would comply with any order to hand over his passport.
The former president is alleged to have strategically and consistently expressed and sowed doubt about the reliability of Brazil's voting system and never admitted defeat in the election.
He, as well as the Liberal Party of which he is a member, filed a request to annul ballots cast on most electronic voting machines.
Police said in a statement they were carrying out 33 searches and seeking four arrests in eight states and the Federal District, where Brasilia is located.
The probe is connected to an alleged criminal organization that "acted to attempt a coup d'etat" that would have kept Bolsonaro in power after his election defeat against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the police statement said.
Police allege the group of alleged conspirators prepared to allege voting fraud prior to the 2022 election to legitimize a military coup. Judge Moraes wrote that the challenge appears to be aimed at incentivizing anti-democratic protest movements and creating turmoil.
"A lot of people should be investigated, because it is concrete fact that there was an attempted coup, there was a policy of disrespecting democracy, there was an attempt to destroy something we built so many years ago, which is the democratic process," current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
