Five Arrested in Brazil Over Alleged Plot to Kill Brazil's President Lula and Top Officials

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Brazilian police have arrested five individuals, including a former adviser to ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, over an alleged plot to assassinate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The conspiracy was reportedly conceived in late 2022, before Lula took office, and involved plans to not only kill the then-president-elect but also to target Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.

According to authorities, the plotters used advanced military tactics and had outlined plans for creating an "Institutional Crisis Management Office" to seize control of Brazil's government. Methods discussed for the political assassinations included poisoning and explosives, with the police noting that the plan specifically targeted Lula’s health vulnerabilities.

The arrest order, signed by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, named retired general Mário Fernandes—former second-in-command of the General Secretariat during Bolsonaro's presidency—among those detained. Other arrested individuals included military personnel with special forces training. The suspects have been prohibited from leaving the country and are barred from contacting other potential co-conspirators.

This comes as an investigation into Bolsonaro’s potential involvement continues. He was reportedly in meetings with military officials in December 2022 to discuss strategies to remain in power after his electoral defeat to Lula. Bolsonaro, who denies any wrongdoing, has faced backlash, with his son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, dismissing the plot as "not a crime" unless an actual attempt had been made.

The arrests mark a significant development in Brazil's ongoing political tensions, following Bolsonaro's loss to Lula in the 2022 presidential election and the subsequent violent January 2023 riots by Bolsonaro's supporters in Brasília.