Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro was seen disembarking from a plane in Florida on Thursday morning, local time. ( Reuters: Eva Marie Uzcategui )
Flavio Bolsonaro has arrived in the United States, less than a week after losing Brazil's presidential election.
Mr Bolsonaro, who is the son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, had been facing a number of legal battles in Brazil and had been ordered by a court to surrender his passport earlier this week.
But the senator instead disappeared, prompting intense speculation that he had fled to the United States.
Mr Bolsonaro, who loses his immunity from prosecution when his Senate term ends in February, had said on Monday after the order to hand in his passports that he had no plans to flee.
"I have never thought about leaving the country," he said.
"I will hand over my passports and defend myself against this travesty, which is a clear attempt to intimidate me."
Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro could be seen being escorted out of Opa-locka Executive Airport, shielded by umbrellas. ( Reuters: Eva Marie Uzcategui )
Mr Bolsonaro, who ran on a populist platform, was widely expected to win Sunday's election but suffered a shock defeat to leftist incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
In pictures published on Thursday, Mr Bolsonaro can be seen disembarking a plane at Opa-locka Executive Airport near Miami, Florida.
It is believed the US government will grant them entry visas, in a move that is likely to deepen the rift between the US and Brazil, two of the Americas' most populous countries.
US President Donald Trump told reporters earlier this week that he would approve of Mr Bolsonaro coming to the United States, after his State Department said it would give them entry visas.
Mr Lula has accused Washington of colluding with the Bolsonaro family to help return them to power.
Mr Bolsonaro's father, Jair Bolsonaro, also fled to Florida after losing the 2022 presidential election to Mr Lula before returning to Brazil three months later.
Flavio Bolsonaro, an incumbent senator for Rio de Janeiro, is under investigation by Brazil’s Supreme Court for alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion in two cases.
The court had ordered Mr Bolsonaro to hand over his regular and diplomatic passports by noon Tuesday, just two days after he lost the vote to Mr Lula.
It remained unclear whether he had complied, but allies said he also had an Italian passport.
