Police Suspected Flight: Bolsonaro Arrested After Monitor Tampering Detected

Federal police moved to arrest Jair Bolsonaro after they suspected he was preparing to flee to a foreign embassy, a suspicion triggered by the detection of interference with his electronic ankle monitor. The former president is awaiting the start of a 27-year prison sentence for orchestrating a failed coup.
In a custody hearing, Bolsonaro denied the escape plot, claiming that the damage to the device was instead caused by a drug-induced “psychotic attack.” He testified that a combination of a painkiller and an antidepressant caused hallucinations, convincing him the monitor was a secret listening device.
Skepticism is rampant among political observers due to the conflict between his current dramatic defense and his earlier claim of acting “out of curiosity.” His testimony is widely seen as an attempt to mitigate the flight risk allegations.