Police said in a statement Friday that they had issued search warrants ordered by the country’s Supreme Court, but did not name Bolsonaro, who governed Latin America’s largest country from 2019 to 2022.

Brazil’s Supreme Court later confirmed the raid, quoting the country’s prosecutor general as saying there was a “concrete” possibility that Bolsonaro would flee the country amid his ongoing trial over alleged efforts to overturn President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s election victory in January 2023. The court stated that Bolsonaro had been ordered to wear an ankle bracelet, cease using social media, and sever all contacts with foreign officials. He was also barred from approaching foreign embassies or consulates in Brazil.

The top court’s statement also revealed that Brazilian police have accused Bolsonaro of working with his son, Eduardo, a Brazilian lawmaker who has been lobbying in Washington, DC, to influence the administration of US President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Brazil. The claim comes after Trump earlier this month threatened Brazil with a 50-percent tariffs on goods if Bolsonaro is not granted legal reprieve.

Responding to the latest actions, Bolsonaro’s lawyers expressed “surprise and indignation” at what they called “severe precautionary measures imposed against him”. They added that Bolsonaro has so far complied with court orders. In a post on social media, Eduardo Bolsonaro alleged that the legal actions were retaliation for a video his father posted last Thursday, thanking Trump for his support.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, the elder Bolsonaro denied that he was considering fleeing the country. “The goal is supreme humiliation,” he said. In a Truth Social post last week, Trump claimed that Brazilian authorities have “done nothing but come after [Bolsonaro], day after day, night after night, month after month, year after year!” “He is not guilty of anything, except having fought for THE PEOPLE,” Trump wrote. (Al Jazeera/AP)