Martin Rabela

AMERICANS, DO YOU KNOW WHO DONALD TRUMP IS WELCOMING INTO YOUR COUNTRY? I am a Brazilian journalist, and I have been closely following the criminal investigations involving Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Reuters reported on October 27 that Flávio left Brazil for the United States after losing the presidential election, despite a Brazilian Supreme Court order requiring him to surrender his passports. Now I have a question: Will American taxpayers be forced to pay for the protection of a Brazilian politician facing serious criminal investigations? Before anyone screams “political persecution,” here are the actual case numbers. You can look them up yourselves. 1. BANCO MASTER, DARK HORSE AND SUSPECTED MONEY LAUNDERING Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) Case: INQ 5,070 Full docket: 0181367-57.2026.1.00.0000 Related proceedings: PET 16,369 and INQ 5,026. Federal investigators are examining suspected money laundering, corruption and illegal international financial transactions involving the financing of Dark Horse, a film about Jair Bolsonaro. The investigation involves financial dealings with Daniel Vorcaro, the former controller of Banco Master. 2. SUSPECTED FINANCIAL LINKS TO THE PCC DRUG-TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION Brazilian Superior Electoral Court (TSE) Case: AIJE 0603371-06.2026.6.00.0000 Filed October 23, 2026. This electoral lawsuit questions whether millions of dollars transferred through companies and investment funds linked to the Dark Horse financing network indirectly benefited Flávio Bolsonaro’s presidential campaign. One company involved in the financial transactions was also identified in investigations concerning suspected money laundering connected to the PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital), one of Brazil’s largest criminal organizations. The lawsuit seeks the annulment of Bolsonaro’s candidacy or election certification and an eight-year disqualification. To be absolutely clear: the alleged connection between the money and the PCC is under investigation. It has not been judicially established that the PCC financed the film or his campaign. 3. WILLER TOMAZ AND ONLINE GAMBLING A separate investigation before Brazil’s Supreme Court, overseen by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, examines suspected money laundering involving attorney Willer Tomaz, a close friend of Flávio Bolsonaro. Investigators are examining financial transactions involving gambling companies, payment platforms and businesses connected to Tomaz. The exact court docket number has not been publicly verified. 4. THE RACHADINHA CORRUPTION CASE Rio de Janeiro State Court (TJ-RJ) Case: 0072696-34.2020.8.19.0000 Prosecutors formally accused Flávio Bolsonaro of crimes including embezzlement, money laundering and participation in a criminal organization involving alleged diversion of public employees’ salaries. The charges were dismissed in 2022 after evidence was ruled inadmissible. There was no conviction, but there was also no trial determining whether the alleged conduct occurred. 5. RODRIGO BACELLAR AND COMANDO VERMELHO Brazilian Supreme Court Case: PET 14,959 Full docket: 0123047-48.2025.1.00.0000 Rodrigo Bacellar, a political ally of Flávio Bolsonaro, was arrested and later became a criminal defendant in proceedings concerning alleged obstruction of a police operation targeting Comando Vermelho, another major Brazilian drug-trafficking organization. 6. MÁRCIO CANELLA AND ORGANIZED CRIME Electoral case: RO-El 0601451-66.2026.6.19.0000 Another political ally supported by Flávio Bolsonaro, Márcio Canella, was arrested during an investigation into suspected organized-crime-related money laundering involving fuel businesses. Brazilian electoral prosecutors have also questioned his candidacy over alleged connections to militias and Comando Vermelho. These are separate proceedings involving Bolsonaro’s allies, not criminal charges against Flávio himself. 🧵