Brazil's Ex-Highway Chief Jailed After Daring Escape Attempt from Paraguay

Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered the preventive detention of Silvinei Vasques, the former head of the country's federal highway police. Vasques, who served under former President Jair Bolsonaro, was caught in Paraguay while trying to board a flight to El Salvador after breaking a court-ordered ankle monitor. This is not the first time a high-ranking official convicted in the 2023 attempted coup has attempted to flee Brazil. Vasques was recently sentenced to 24 years and six months in prison for his role in the failed coup, which also led to Bolsonaro's 27-year sentence. The former police chief, who was not yet in jail, apparently broke his electronic ankle monitor in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina, prompting security alerts at border checkpoints. Vasques was caught with a fake Paraguayan passport and had planned his escape using a rented car, even taking his dog with him. This move follows a similar case in November, where the Supreme Court ordered the arrest of former intelligence agency director Alexandre Ramagem, who fled to the United States in September. Bolsonaro himself was detained in 2023 after attempting to remove his ankle monitor using a soldering iron while under house arrest. Vasques' lawyer declined to comment on the incident. The Supreme Court's decision to convert Vasques' precautions into preventive detention underscores the severity of his attempted escape. Brazil's authorities are taking a firm stance against those who attempt to evade justice, particularly in high-profile cases like this one.