By Jorge Antonio Rocha
MEXICO CITY (AA) - Brazilian Federal Police arrested five officers involved in an alleged plot to stage a military coup and murder President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and top government officials, authorities said Tuesday.
Judge Alexandre de Moraes ruled that the arrest of a Federal Police officer and four military officers accused of participating in the "planning of a coup and the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law" be made public.
The operation, "Copa 2022," by those under investigation, wanted to monitor and arrest or assassinate key figures, such as de Moraes, Lula and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, to overturn Lula's election victory.
The suspects allegedly had been monitoring Moraes and Lula since November 2022, after Lula's win in the elections.
The investigation also revealed that the coup plotters had taken into account Lula's health and were planning to use poison to murder the president.
Additionally, different options were considered for the murder of de Moraes, including the use of an explosive device and poison at a public event.
Alckmin was also a target given that if Lula was assassinated, the presidency would fall to the vice president.
The suspects also planned a "crisis cabinet" to restore order and lead Brazil following the coup.
Federal Police said the plan entailed giving power to Gen. Augusto Heleno, minister chief of the Institutional Security Office during the administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro, and Gen. Braga Netto, former defense minister and Bolsonaro’s vice presidential candidate.
Reportedly, the suspects were arrested in Rio de Janeiro, where the G20 summit is taking place.