The Federal Police of Brazil announced Thursday that it has launched the 14th phase of Operation Lesa Pátria, with the objective of identifying individuals who incited and participated in the January 8 riots in Brasília, Brazil. The January 8 riots saw supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro storm government buildings, such as the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court.
According to the statement the police are serving 10 arrest warrants and 16 search and seizure warrants in five states and the federal district of Brazil, where Brasília is located. All the warrants were issued by the Supreme Court. In addition, the police stated that targets of the operation are suspected to have fomented the “Festa de Selma” movement, a violent movement where protestors were mobilized to invade government buildings. The targets are being investigated for crimes of coup d’état, violent abolition of the democratic state of law, criminal association, qualified damage, incitement to crime, the destruction and deterioration of specially protected property and crimes of the terrorism law.
During the 13th phase of Operation Lesa Pátria which was conducted last week, the police searched the property of Milton de Oliveira Junior, an alleged financier of the January 8 riots. Brazilian Institutional Security Bureau executive Marcos Goncalves Dias resigned in April when a video was released allegedly showing him participating in the riots. Mere days after the riots, Brazilian police arrested former Secretary of Public Security for the Federal District of Brasilia Anderson Torres for his role on January 8. Bolsonaro has denied involvement in the riots.