# Bolsonaro's son flees Brazil for Miami, defying court order

> Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro left the country after losing the election, ignoring a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports in a money laundering investigation.
- Title: Bolsonaro's son flees Brazil for Miami, defying court order
- Summary: Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro left the country after losing the election, ignoring a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports in a money…
- Keywords: flávio bolsonaro, brazil election, luiz inácio lula da silva, money laundering investigation, supreme court, alexandre de moraes, miami, jair bolsonaro, donald trump, willer tomaz, TIME
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/10/27/brazil-flavio-bolsonaro-money-laundering-supreme-court-lula
- Author: Miranda Jeyaretnam
- Published: 2026-10-27T09:45:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: flávio bolsonaro, brazil election, luiz inácio lula da silva, money laundering investigation, supreme court, alexandre de moraes, miami, jair bolsonaro, donald trump, willer tomaz, news, world
## Senator flees to Miami
Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami on Wednesday after fleeing Brazil in defiance of a court order to surrender his passports amid a money laundering investigation.
## Route through South America
Bolsonaro traveled from northern Argentina to the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil. From there, he, his wife and two daughters flew to Miami, exiting a private jet at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport.
## Trump approves his arrival
President Donald Trump told reporters he would approve of Bolsonaro coming to the U.S., saying I think they're fine people.U.S.officials told media outlets the State Department would grant Bolsonaro and his family entry visas.

> I think they're fine people
## Court order and investigation
A Brazilian Supreme Court justice had ordered federal police to open a probe into possible illegal foreign financing of Bolsonaro's presidential campaign, including alleged ties to U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance's donor network.
## Initial promise to comply
Bolsonaro initially said he would comply with Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes's order to surrender his passports.
## Public statement on Monday
In a social media video Monday, Bolsonaro said I have never thought about leaving the country and I will hand over my passports and defend myself against this travesty, which is a clear attempt to…

> I have never thought about leaving the country. I will hand over my passports and defend myself against this travesty, which is a clear attempt to intimidate me.
## Missed deadline, fled anyway
Bolsonaro did not comply with the order to hand over his passport by the court's twenty-four-hour deadline on Tuesday morning.
## Lula calls it shameful
Lula called Bolsonaro's flight from Brazil a shameful act. He added those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear, recalling his own arrest in two thousand eighteen on charges of passive corruption and…

> Those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear
## Broader investigation details
The inquiry stems from a federal probe into unauthorized deductions from pension payments made by Brazil's social security agency, launched in April two thousand twenty-five.
## Italian passport escape route
AFP reported that Bolsonaro's Brazilian and diplomatic passports were canceled, but he has held Italian nationality since two thousand twenty-three.
## Father's conviction and context
De Moraes was the lead justice in last year's trial of Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio's father.
## Brother also convicted
In June, a Supreme Court panel unanimously convicted Eduardo Bolsonaro, Flávio's brother, of coercion in judicial proceedings.
## Key takeaway

Flávio Bolsonaro fled Brazil to Miami after defying a court order to surrender his passports amid a money laundering investigation, days after his father's ally lost the presidential election.