Police Search Jair Bolsonaro's Condo in Brasilia

On Wednesday, the Brazilian Federal Police searched the residence of former President Jair Bolsonaro as part of an investigation into the falsification of COVID-19 vaccination certificates.

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Preliminary investigations showed that this right-win politician, as well as some members of his family and his advisers, manipulated COVID-19 certificates to obtain U.S. visas.

Through a criminal organization that was dedicated to falsifying the Health Ministry's data, anti-vaxxers managed to issue certificates and use them to circumvent health restrictions imposed by both the U.S. and Brazil.

Previously, Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes issued 6 arrest warrants and authorized 16 searches in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro.

So far, the authorities have detained five people, including two former advisers and a security guard of the former president. Bolsonaro's mobile phone was seized during the search.

The first falsification of documents occurred in November 2021. Subsequently, a second one took place two days before Bolsonaro traveled to the U.S. on Dec. 30, 2022, when he left the country without formally handing over the Brazilian presidency to Lula da Silva.

"They never asked me for my vaccination certificate anywhere and there is no adulteration on my part. I did not take the vaccine, full stop. I never denied that," Bolsonaro told reporters in front of his Brasilia residence.