Flávio Bolsonaro, a Brazilian senator and presidential candidate, has reportedly attempted to travel to the United States through Argentina despite a Brazilian Supreme Court order prohibiting him from leaving the country. However, authorities have not confirmed that he has departed Brazil, and his current whereabouts remain unclear.
According to Brazilian media reports citing sources close to the Bolsonaro family, Flávio intended to travel to the United States and potentially seek political asylum from the Trump administration.
Brazilian outlet Metrópoles reported that a small group of allies in Brazil and the United States had coordinated the alleged trip and contacted the Trump administration to seek support.
The reports emerged after Flávio failed to meet a court-imposed deadline to surrender his passports. Brazilian Federal Police subsequently canceled the documents and informed the court of his non-compliance.
Flávio has denied wrongdoing in the investigation underlying the restrictions and has vowed to challenge the ruling.
Reports Suggest a Route Through Argentina
Folha de S.Paulo columnist Mônica Bergamo reported on Tuesday that members of the Bolsonaro family’s inner circle had been informed that Flávio had left Brazil for Argentina, with plans to continue to the United States.
Metrópoles separately cited people close to the family who claimed he was heading to the U.S., with one source stating that the plane was already airborne. UOL also reported that a source connected to both the Trump administration and the Bolsonaro family was aware of the alleged departure.
Despite these accounts, Brazilian authorities have found no official record confirming that Flávio crossed the border.
The Federal Police reported no departure through a regular border crossing, while a source within the force told AFP that there was no formal record of him leaving the country.
Argentina’s Infobae reported that Flávio may have entered using his national identity card, which can be used for travel between Mercosur member states. According to the report, he was expected to board a flight from Puerto Iguazú to Miami.
Neither his entry into Argentina nor his arrival in the United States has been independently confirmed.
Private Jet Reportedly Remains Grounded
Reports surrounding the alleged journey have focused on a Gulfstream G400 operated by Baires Fly, registered as LV-JQW.
Flight-tracking information cited by media outlets indicated that the aircraft landed in Puerto Iguazú at 11:45 p.m. on October 26 but did not subsequently depart.
A pilot told Folha that an airport employee had indicated Flávio’s name appeared on the passenger list, although the field for his identification document was reportedly left blank.
Argentine media offered conflicting explanations for the flight’s status. Clarín reported that a passenger encountered a problem, while La Nación said a passenger failed to appear. Misiones Online reported that Argentine aviation authorities had denied permission for takeoff.
Reuters reported that Argentine authorities had no record of Flávio entering the country and that no flight plan listed members of the Bolsonaro family.
A spokesman for Argentine President Javier Milei also stated that there had been no asylum request.
The U.S. State Department had not commented on the reports at the time of publication.
Supreme Court Restrictions and Passport Cancellation
The reported journey comes amid escalating legal pressure on the senator.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Flávio to surrender all his passports, including ordinary, diplomatic and foreign documents, within 24 hours. The ruling also prohibited him from leaving Brazil.
Federal Police notified Flávio of the order on October 26. After he failed to meet the deadline, authorities canceled his passports and reported his non-compliance to the court, according to reports from O Globo, Reuters and AFP.
The restrictions stem from an investigation involving suspected money laundering and currency evasion connected to lawyer Willer Tomaz, a friend of the senator, and financing for Dark Horse, a film about his father, Jair Bolsonaro.
Flávio has denied wrongdoing. No arrest warrant had been reported as of Tuesday.
In a video published on October 26, the senator said he would challenge the restrictions and defend himself against what he called an abuse of authority.
He also vowed to continue organizing the political opposition, declaring that no one would silence him.
Bolsonaro Allies Dispute Departure Claims
Statements from members of Flávio’s political circle have added to the uncertainty surrounding the reports.
Rogério Marinho, the senator’s campaign coordinator, said Tuesday morning that Flávio had not left Brazil. His brother Eduardo Bolsonaro, who lives in the United States, also dismissed the reports in comments to UOL, calling them a “lie.”
The conflicting accounts leave key questions unanswered, including whether Flávio reached Argentina, whether the reported flight was intended to carry him to the United States and whether he plans to request asylum.
The episode unfolds amid heightened political tensions following Brazil’s October 25 presidential runoff. According to the figures cited in the reports, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won 51.79% of the vote against Flávio’s 48.21%. The senator subsequently abandoned his effort to annul the election.
The broader dispute also comes as Jair Bolsonaro serves a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup and remains under house arrest, while U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized Brazil’s political and judicial developments.
For now, media reports point to a possible route through Argentina toward the United States, but there is no official confirmation that Flávio Bolsonaro has left Brazil or entered either country. His whereabouts and any potential asylum request remain unverified.