Former director of the Federal Highway Police convicted of attempted coup d’état was arrested in Paraguay when leaving for El Salvador
Former director general of the PRF (Federal Highway Police) Silvinei Vasques was handed over to the Federal Police in Foz do Iguaçu, on the border with Paraguay, hours after being detained at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport. He had tried to circumvent migration controls this Friday (Dec 26, 2025).
According to the Paraguayan authorities, Vasques, sentenced by the (Supreme Federal Court) to 24 years and 6 months for attempted coup d’état, with the identity of a Paraguayan citizen under the name Julio Eduardo. The irregularity was identified during the initial inspection carried out by migration agents, who triggered a secondary control procedure.
Silvinei is considered one of those responsible for commandeering the blockade of voters from the Northeast on the highways during the 2nd round of the 2022 presidential elections. For minister Alexandre de Moraes, from (Supreme Federal Court), he coordinated one of the executory acts of the attempted institutional rupture in favor of the former president (PL).
The minister ordered the preventive detention of the former PRF director this Friday (Dec 26). Read the (PDF – 156 kB).
The decision was taken after the PF (Federal Police) informed the electronic ankle bracelet rupture used by Vasques and non-compliance with other precautionary measures imposed by the STF. The equipment lost GPS signal in the early hours of December 25th and, hours later, it also lost GPRS communication (General Packet Radio Service).
Federal police carried out investigations at the former director’s address, in São José (SC), but were unable to find him. According to the report, Vasques left the building on the night of December 24, loading a rental car with bags, personal items and a dog, and did not return. The apartment was locked at the time of the check.
For Moraes, the elements gathered indicate escape and an attempt to evade the application of criminal law. The minister stated that non-compliance with precautionary measures, without justification, authorizes the conversion of restrictions into preventive detention, in accordance with STF jurisprudence.
The former director of the PRF on December 16th by the 1st Panel of the STF for attempted coup d’état to keep the former president (PL) in Planalto after the defeat in the 2022 elections. The decision also determined the payment of R$30 million for collective moral damages, the loss of public office and communication to the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) for purposes of ineligibility.
