Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Brazil riots: Brasília's ex-security chief arrested on return to city

Brazil riots: Brasília's ex-security chief arrested on return to city

Brasília's former public security chief Anderson Torres has been arrested by federal police on his return to Brazil.

Mr Torres was in charge of security for the capital city when thousands of rioters stormed Brazil's Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court on Sunday 8 January.

Brazil's Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant last week, accusing Mr Torres of alleged collusion with rioters behind attacks on government buildings.

Mr Torres denies any role in the riots.

The Supreme Court also accuses Mr Torres of omission - failure to act - in his role as the capital's security chief.

According to Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, Mr Torres's "omission was amply proven by the predictability of the conduct of criminal groups and the lack of security that enabled the invasion of public buildings".

In a statement, Brazil's Federal Police said Mr Torres was arrested as he disembarked at the capital's airport at 07:15 local time (10:15 GMT) and taken into custody.

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva accused allies of his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro of helping the attack on the presidential palace.

President Lula said people within the presidential palace were complicit in allowing rioters to enter government buildings and he vowed to screen employees to improve security.

Mr Torres - who was Mr Bolsonaro's former justice minister - insists his conscience is clear.

On Friday, President Lula's justice minister Flavio Dino said authorities would give Mr Torres until Monday to return to Brazil, or he would face extradition.

Police visited Mr Torres's home and found a document reportedly trying to reverse October's election result.

Mr Torres said the document was taken out of context - but did say he would return to Brazil to defend himself, calling last week's riots the most bitter day of his personal and professional life.

He had been on holiday with his family in Miami when the storming took place, but left on Friday evening to fly back to Brasília.

Brazilian Senator Randolfe Rodrigues said Mr Torres' arrest is "another reminder for those who have spent the past four years disrespecting the law and conspiring against the country".

"Brazil is telling the world that it will not give room for coup d'etat," Mr Rodrigues added in a tweet.

Following the riots, Brazil's judicial authorities ordered the arrest of other top public officials and Fábio Augusto, the police commander, was dismissed from his role.

On Friday, the Supreme Court agreed to include right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro in its investigation of 8 January's riots.

Mr Bolsonaro, who has refused to concede defeat, posted a video days after the riots questioning the legitimacy of October's presidential elections, which he lost to Mr Lula.

Prosecutors said the former president may have incited a crime by making such claims.

While the video was posted after Sunday's riot and later deleted, the prosecutor general's office argued its content was sufficient to justify investigating Mr Bolsonaro's conduct beforehand.

Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes announced Mr Bolsonaro would be included in the probe into what the office of the prosecutor general said was the "instigation and intellectual authorship" of the rioting.

"Public figures who continue to cowardly conspire against democracy... will be held accountable," Justice de Moraes added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×