Brazil's Flavio Bolsonaro headed to US, sources say

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro’s whereabouts became unclear after he missed a Supreme Court deadline to surrender his passports in connection with a money-laundering investigation, which he denies wrongdoing in. Federal Police sources said authorities canceled the documents and were trying to locate him. The uncertainty followed his unexpected defeat in Sunday’s presidential election to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has not formally conceded and had called for the result to be annulled over alleged voting irregularities, although his Liberal Party subsequently recognized Lula’s victory.

Speculation that Bolsonaro might leave Brazil echoed his father Jair Bolsonaro’s move to the United States after losing the 2022 election. But there was no confirmation that Flavio had departed: a Brazilian police official said he had not crossed a regular border checkpoint, while Argentina reported no record of his entry or of an asylum request. Authorities there also checked a private plane at Iguazu airport after reports linked it to the family, finding no flight plan listing them. A family associate declined to discuss the senator’s location, another contact said he could not reach him, and Flavio’s brother had previously said he favored leaving Brazil if Flavio lost. The search therefore continued amid uncertainty over whether the senator was in the country or planning to go abroad.