US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Brazil’s former intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem on Monday after he fled Brazil to avoid a 16-year prison sentence for his role in an alleged coup attempt. The detention was first brought to light by a Brazilian senator.

ICE confirmed Ramagem’s detention through its online detainee database but offered no extra details. Brazilian authorities said that Ramagen was “arrested” as a result of “international police cooperation between Brazil’s Federal Police and US law enforcement authorities.” However, it is unclear whether the action is directly linked to Brazil’s formal extradition request of Ramagem.

Following his detention, Brazilian Senator Jorge Seif submitted a formal request to the US embassy in Brazil for the US to grant Ramagem and his family political asylum. In his letter, Seif argued that Ramagem’s conviction was politically motivated and explained the “delicate humanitarian and legal situation,” requesting that authorities consider “the Brazilian political and institutional context, particularly as regards the alleged persecution of political opponents.”

He further asked that the letter be forwarded to “the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and those responsible for US immigration policy.” Seif did not provide details as to why Ramagem had been placed under custody.

Ramagem is a former head of the Brazil Intelligence Agency and federal lawmaker. He was sentenced in September 2025 to 16 years in prison for his role in a plot to overthrow the government after prosecutors argued he was central to efforts to overturn Brazil’s 2022 presidential election results. He was one of 29 people convicted alongside former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence.

Ramagem was stripped of his congressional seat as a consequence of his conviction. Before beginning his sentence, he fled the country by illegally crossing into Guyana and traveling to the US on a diplomatic passport. Brazilian authorities subsequently classified him as a fugitive and formally requested his extradition on December 30, 2025.

Now detained by ICE, Ramagem is expected to contest any deportation proceedings, with his lawyers likely to pursue a political asylum claim on grounds that he faces persecution in Brazil. Bolsonaro ally Paulo Figueiredo claimed the detention was unrelated to the extradition request and stemmed from a routine traffic stop. He added that Ramagem has a pending asylum application and that his legal status in the US is legitimate.

With Brazil’s presidential election in October, the US decision on Ramagem’s situation may affect both bilateral relations and credibility of extradition processes.