Carlos Bolsonaro, one of the sons of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, was reportedly the target of police raids.
The raids were carried out as part of an investigation into suspected illegal spying on political opponents during his father's term in office, according to Reuters.
The federal police issued search warrants against Carlos on Monday, the news agency reported, citing two sources.
It was said that Carlos, a member of the Rio City Council mother The Minister of Propaganda runs an office inside the presidential palace and is suspected of spreading fake news against opponents.
The former leader's son denied running a fake news operation.
He is now being investigated for allegedly using data collected by the Brazilian intelligence agency known as ABIN through an Israeli program called First Mile, which tracks the location of private cell phones, a federal police source told Reuters.
The Supreme Court is also investigating the “fake” media outlet run from within the presidential office, which has been called the “government of hate.”
A police statement said eight arrest warrants had been issued in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and two other cities to identify “the main recipients and beneficiaries of information illegally produced by ABIN through covert actions.”
This operation was the closest the police investigations came to with the far-right Bolsonaro He is banned from running for office until 2030 On charges of abuse of power and misuse of the media while he was president.
The broader investigation looks into accusations of illegal surveillance of citizens by ABIN during Bolsonaro's presidency between 2019 and 2022.
Supreme Court documents revealed last week showed that the spy agency is accused of illegal surveillance of at least three judges and a former speaker of the Chamber of Deputies during Bolsonaro's presidency.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. File photo: Reuters
Officers began the investigation on Thursday, and revealed in a statement that seven federal police officers had been investigated and had already been removed from their duties.
21 search and seizure procedures were carried out.
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Police added that the operation extends to a number of locations, including the capital, Brasilia, and Rio de Janeiro.
The country's former intelligence chief, Alexandre Ramagem, a Bolsonaro loyalist planning to run for mayor of Rio de Janeiro who has denied any wrongdoing, was among those targeted by the initial search warrants, according to court records.
Police said the investigation focused on an “organized crime” group operating within the intelligence agency.
