Arsenal, route mapping, and coup attempt: timeline reveals plan to assassinate Moraes, Lula, and Alckmin, according to Federal Police

Four military personnel and a federal agent were arrested for allegedly plotting after Bolsonaro's 2022 election defeat The Federal Police arrested four military personnel and a federal police officer on Tuesday in an operation investigating an alleged plot to assassinate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following former President Jair Bolsonaro's defeat in the 2022 election. The plan was reportedly led by a group of Army "black ops" members, consisting of active-duty or reserve forces specializing in special operations. Coup attempt: Federal police arrest four military officers and one federal agent in plot to assassinate Lula, Alckmin, and Moraes in 2022 Former president's son: Flávio Bolsonaro defends former president against coup plot blame Tuesday's actions were part of an inquiry into whether there was an attempted coup following the recent presidential election outcome. Five preventive arrest warrants and three search and seizure warrants were issued. The arrested individuals include retired General Mário Fernandes and military members Hélio Ferreira Lima, Rafael Martins de Oliveira, and Rodrigo Bezerra de Azevedo, all "black ops" members, along with Federal Police agent Wladimir Matos Soares. Below is the timeline of the investigation into the alleged coup attempt. Step-by-step coup plot A Federal Police report describes the planning of the "black ops" group that allegedly intended to assassinate Lula, Alckmin, and Moraes. November 12, 2022 The "black ops" group, comprised of special forces military personnel, meets at the block where General Walter Braga Netto, Bolsonaro's former Defense Minister, lived in Brasília. A message forwarded by Mauro Cid, then Bolsonaro's aide-de-camp, to Major Rafael de Oliveira, known as "Joe," arranges the meeting. November 14, 2022 Two days later, Oliveira asks Cid for updates, to which Cid responds with another question about expenses and requests a cost estimate for hotel, food, and materials: "R$100,000?" he asks, adding, "To bring some people from Rio." The major then replies, "I'll send it to you." November 15, 2022 The cost estimate for the plan discussed at Braga Netto's residence is then sent by Oliveira to Cid. He describes the document as "initial needs." Cid insists on a "total value estimate," and the major states that the "R$100,000 figure fits into this estimate." November 21-23, 2022 During this period, according to the Federal Police, members of the "black ops" group planning to capture Moraes visited locations included in the operation's plan. Analysis of the cell phone location data of two suspects—Major Rafael Oliveira and Lieutenant Colonel Helio Ferreira Lima—reveals they visited addresses selected for the planned arrest of Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Supreme Federal Court. The monitored locations include the block where the magistrate's official apartment is located. The Federal Police report that a car was rented for transportation. December 6, 2022 The Federal Police indicate that on this day Major Oliveira, known as "Joe," visited the Planalto Palace in the late afternoon. A message in the aide-de-camp group suggests that Bolsonaro, who was spending most of his time at the Alvorada Palace, the official residence, was also at the executive headquarters at the same time. It was on this day, according to the Federal Police report, that the then-Executive Secretary of the Presidency's General Secretariat, Mario Fernandes, printed a document titled "Green and Yellow Dagger," said to be the operational plan for the group's actions. The file's metadata indicates it was created on November 9, three days before the meeting at Braga Netto's residence. December 6, 2022 The "Green and Yellow Dagger" produced by Mario Fernandes also outlined necessary items for executing the coup operation. The list included pistols, rifles, grenade launchers, and rocket launchers. According to the Federal Police, the arsenal planned for the operation "reveals the significant military power intended for the action." The weapons to be employed, pistols and rifles, "are commonly used by police and military forces due to the high effectiveness of the listed calibers." Federal police report reveals weapons intended for coup plot Reproduction December 8, 2022 General Mário Fernandes, then the number two at the Presidential General Secretariat, communicates via audio with Cid, according to messages obtained by the Federal Police. Fernandes claims to have spoken personally with Bolsonaro and expressed concern about the coup movements gathering in front of the barracks. Cid responds that he would also speak with the president and that they had "little time for completion" of the coup. The general is identified as the focal point for the group with those camped in front of the Army HQ in Brasília, who would invade the seats of the Three Powers a month later. December 9, 2022 Bolsonaro meets with the then-commander of the Army's Land Operations Command (Coter), General Estevam Caos Teophilo, to discuss a draft decree for a coup, according to the Federal Police. The document, the investigations indicate, would declare a state of defense within the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), and call for the arrest of Justice Alexandre de Moraes. December 10, 2022 The Federal Police claim to have identified new message exchanges between Mauro Cid and Marcelo Câmara indicating ongoing monitoring. In one exchange, the aide describes the route Moraes would take to attend Lula's inauguration on December 12. These messages had been deleted from Cid's phone but were later recovered. December 12, 2022 On Lula's inauguration day, Cid and Câmara exchange new messages. At 12:58 p.m., Cid writes "Nothing." At 1:06 p.m., Câmara responds, "Not yet." He adds two minutes later, "The guy is scared." The Federal Police highlight in their report that the plan included, in addition to Moraes' assassination, the killing of Lula and his vice president, Geraldo Alckmin. December 13, 2022 Federal Police agent Wladimir Matos Soares sends messages to the special advisor to the Presidency, Sérgio Cordeiro, an Army captain, regarding Lula's security at the hotel where he was staying in Brasília before his inauguration. In one message, he alerts about a man staying at the same hotel and asks Cordeiro if he was with the GSI. According to the investigations, Wladimir provided information that could somehow support the plan to assassinate Lula. December 15, 2022 Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro's aide-de-camp, sends a message at 4:12 p.m. to Marcelo Câmara, then a Presidency advisor, asking if he had "Anything?" The response comes the next day, December 16, with information that Justice Alexandre de Moraes traveled to São Paulo and would return to Brasília on Monday morning (November 21), but would return to São Paulo the same day. "For now, he only returns to Brasília for the thief's inauguration. Any change I learn of, I'll inform you," writes the advisor. December 15, 2022 Messages on the Signal app indicate that members of the "black ops" group moved to specific locations in the capital, such as a restaurant near Parque da Cidade and the block where Moraes' official apartment is located. The conversations in the group named "World Cup 2022" start at 8:33 p.m. After some messages reporting they are "in position," at 8:59 p.m. that day, a user in the Signal group sends an order to "abort" and "return to the drop-off location." They used country names to identify themselves. December 16, 2022 A document seized by the Federal Police indicates this date as the day when the "Institutional Crisis Management Office" would be established, tasked with leading the country after executing the plan on December 15. According to the file, the structure would be led by General Augusto Heleno, then Minister of the Institutional Security Office (GSI). December 17, 2022 Entry records at the Alvorada Palace show that Mario Fernandes was one of the visitors to the official presidential residence, where Bolsonaro remained secluded after losing the election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. On the same day, Filipe Martins, who, according to Cid's testimony, was one of the masterminds behind the coup draft, also visited the location. December 21, 2022 Cid sends another message to Marcelo Câmara asking, "Where's the Professor?" The codename "Professor" was used by the group to refer to Moraes, according to the Federal Police. Câmara responds, "Information is that he went to a school in SP." The former aide-de-camp then asks, "And is there a return date?" To which the advisor says, "Only for the start of the school year." December 24, 2022 Cid asks Marcelo Câmara once again about Moraes' whereabouts. The advisor replies that the magistrate is in São Paulo but would return on the 31st for the president-elect's inauguration. January 4, 2023 Oliveira sends a video interview of Moraes to GLOBO, in which the minister states that the Federal Police discovered a plan to kill him, to some of his WhatsApp contacts. January 8, 2023 The seats of the Three Powers are invaded by coup supporters attempting to seize power. The Federal Police are investigating whether the "black ops" group had any connection to the anti-democratic action. Evaristo Sá/AFP The translation of this text into english was carried out by Project Irineu, O GLOBO's initiative to develop artificial intelligence tools. Here is the link to the original report.