Silvinei Vasques, the former head of Brazil’s Federal Highway Police, was arrested Friday in Asuncion, Paraguay, and subsequently returned to Brazil, according to official statements from Paraguayan authorities. Officials said the arrest occurred at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport as Vasques attempted to board a flight while facing legal proceedings in his home country.
Paraguay’s National Migration Directorate (DNM) announced in a statement that Vasques was taken into custody for “identity theft” after allegedly trying to use a false Paraguayan passport. According to the agency, he was attempting to travel on a flight to Panama with a final destination of El Salvador. The DNM stated that Vasques had entered Paraguay without passing through official immigration controls.
Following his arrest, Paraguayan authorities transported Vasques to the Friendship Bridge border crossing, which connects Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, with Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. Video released by the DNM shows him being handed over to Brazilian Federal Police at the border.
In Brazil, Vasques faces charges related to his actions during the 2022 presidential election. He was accused of ordering highway police to conduct traffic stops and roadblocks on election day, primarily in regions with high support for then-candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who won the election against then-President Jair Bolsonaro.
Vasques was previously arrested in August 2023 in connection with the allegations and was later released from custody but remained under judicial supervision, which included wearing an electronic ankle monitor. Brazilian media outlets reported that the monitor was broken before he left the country.
On Friday, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued a preventive detention order for Vasques, according to a court document cited by the Reuters news agency.
An attorney for Vasques did not provide a comment to news agencies regarding the arrest or the circumstances of his client’s departure from Brazil.
