Brazilian Police Carried Out A Number Of Raids Related To The January 8 Riot Investigation

The attack on the Brazilian Congress Building was by supporters of Jair Bolsonaro. (Wikimedia Commons/Agmencia Brazil/Marcelo Camargo)

JAKARTA - Brazil's federal police on Friday carried out a number of raids as part of an investigation into the January 8 riots, when supporters of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings in Brasilia.

Police said in a statement they underwent three preventive arrest warrants and 14 search and seizure warrants ordered by the Supreme Court in five states and federal districts, where Brasilia is located.

The new effort is the fourth phase of an operation launched last month, aimed at identifying people who participated in, funded or prompted unrest, where mobs stormed and ransacked Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court.

Police did not disclose the names of those targeted for raids, but highlighted that they were being investigated for the crimes of "the removal of rule of law with violence, coup, eligible damage, criminal association, sedition, destruction, and the destruction of property items specifically protected."

As previously reported, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio CLA da Silva delivered harsh criticism of the country's intelligence agency, assessing it failed in connection with the raid on government buildings in Brasilia by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro on January 8.

He suspected there was a collusion by "people in the armed forces" in the uprising, in which several thousand Bolsonaro supporters stormed and searched the building of Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court.

In addition, President Lula fired more than 50 military officers guarding the residence of the president and the National Security Adviser's office, expressing his distrust of them after the Brasilia uprising.