Brazilian police raid Bolsonaro’s home amid COVID vaccine card investigation : NPR

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro leaves federal police headquarters after testifying about the January 8 attacks in Brasilia on April 26.

Eraldo Peres/AP

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Eraldo Peres/AP

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro leaves federal police headquarters after testifying about the January 8 attacks in Brasilia on April 26.

Eraldo Peres/AP

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Federal police in Brazil raided the home of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday, as part of an investigation into possible tampering with COVID-19 vaccine cards.

The former president’s cell phone was seized.

The raid took place early Wednesday morning at the former president’s home in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. Federal police say they served 16 search and seizure warrants, as well as six preventive arrest warrants in the capital and Rio de Janeiro. The names of those targeted were not disclosed.

Investigators say officials in Bolsonaro’s inner circle created fake vaccination certificates so unvaccinated travelers, including the former president, his family members and relatives of his aides, could enter the United States and circumvent mandatory vaccination requirements.

Bolsonaro, a vocal skeptic of COVID vaccines, confirmed to reporters that his home had been raided and said he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. He denied any role in the alleged falsification of documents.

“I did not take the vaccine, my personal decision,” he told reporters.

Local media reports that some of Bolsonaro’s closest aides, including his personal security guard and secretary, have been arrested. Federal police said they were investigating a number of potential public health violations.

An official told reporters Bolsonaro would be dropped off at federal police headquarters later Wednesday.

Reacting to the raid, Valdemar Costa Neto, the leader of Bolsonaro’s political party, wrote on Twitter that his party “trusts[s] that all doubts of justice will be clarified and it will be proven that Bolsonaro did nothing illegal.”