Brazil Police Carry Out Raids Related to Jan. 8 Brasilia Riots

By Staff, Agencies

Brazil's federal police on Friday carried out raids against people allegedly involved in the Jan. 8 storming of government buildings by supporters of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, a statement showed.

Police said the operation was aimed at "identifying people who participated in, funded or fostered" the riots, and included eight preventive arrest warrants and 16 search and seizure warrants in five states and in Brasilia.

They did not disclose the names those who were targeted by the operation, but said they were being investigated for the crimes of "violent abolition of the rule of law, coup d'état, qualified damage, criminal association, incitement, destruction and deterioration of specially protected property."

On Jan. 8, thousands of backers of Bolsonaro invaded and ransacked the Congress building, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court in the worst attack on state institutions since Brazil's return to democracy in the 1980s.

The latest warrants were ordered by the Supreme Court, police said, noting investigations would remain in place and the newly launched operation would become permanent.

Federal police added they would provide regular updates on the number of court warrants issued and people arrested.