An investigation into Senator Flávio Bolsonaro’s departure for the United States after his defeat in the presidential election suggests that a former Israeli intelligence agent took part in the operation, according to a report aired Sunday by TV Globo’s Fantástico program.
The report identified the former Mossad agent as Menachem Booky Halevy. He was reportedly one of two passengers in a van that crossed the Brazil-Argentina border minutes before the vehicle carrying Bolsonaro and his family. The other passenger was said to be lawyer Roberto Jorge Alexandre, who has represented former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Van driver Neri Luiz Dala Corte told Fantástico that he had been hired to take two men to Puerto Iguazú airport. Both the van carrying the men and the one used by the Bolsonaro family belong to Brazilian travel company Iguaçu Dallas Travel Turismo, the report said.
Halevy entered Brazil on October 19 and had reportedly visited the country three other times that year. On Thursday, November 29, Federal Police took him for questioning as he was preparing to fly from Guarulhos Airport to Bogotá, Colombia. After giving a statement, he bought a new ticket to the United States and boarded a flight, according to Fantástico.
Bolsonaro crossed into Argentina and flew from there to Miami on a private jet in the early hours of Wednesday, November 28. The report says the trip took place after he was barred from leaving Brazil and his passports were canceled by order of the Supreme Federal Court. He is also the target of two money-laundering investigations.
The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported that the aircraft used to take Bolsonaro to the United States had been chartered by Jason Miller, an adviser to US President Donald Trump.
Before leaving Brazil, Bolsonaro said he had never considered departing the country, would hand over his passports and would seek to have the winning ticket disqualified. After arriving in Miami, he circulated several versions of a letter in which he said he would lead the opposition from the United States.
Sources: Folha Poder.