Justice Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) on Tuesday confirmed the preventive detention of Alan Diego dos Santos Rodrigues, who was convicted over an attempt to plant a bomb in the axle of a tanker truck near Brasília International Airport on 24 December 2022.
In the decision, delivered in Petition (Pet) 12445, Justice Moraes said there is a real risk that Rodrigues could commit further offences if released. The minister noted Rodrigues fled Brasília immediately after the foiled attack and was only arrested in June this year in the state of Mato Grosso after being sought by police.
“There are strong and grave indications of a concrete risk of reoffending and evasion of criminal law, given the flight after the commission of the crimes and the initiation of criminal proceedings following receipt of the indictment,” the justice wrote in his published ruling. He added that no new facts had emerged to alter the need for custody.
Rodrigues’s defence had previously requested his release, a plea rejected by Justice Moraes in October. The recent decision reiterates the court’s view that maintaining custody is necessary to preserve public order and to secure the criminal inquiry.
Brazil airport bomb suspect detained
The case has drawn wider scrutiny because the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (PGR) has charged Rodrigues and two others with crimes aimed at abolishing the democratic rule of law, including attempted coup and armed criminal association, and requested preventive detention.
Two other figures have been linked to the same incident. Blogger Wellington Macedo de Souza was sentenced to six years in prison for planning the attack and for giving Rodrigues a lift on the day of the attempt. George Washington de Oliveira Sousa admitted buying an arsenal that included explosives and ammunition used in the scheme.
According to court records, Rodrigues installed the explosive device on the tanker truck parked close to the airport and later said he had received the device at a camp outside the Army Headquarters in Brasília where demonstrators had advocated for a coup. In May 2023, the 10th Federal Court of the Federal District sentenced Rodrigues and two others to five years and four months in closed regime for offences of explosion and arson.
The investigation was then referred to the STF to examine possible crimes against the democratic order. In December 2025, the Supreme Court’s First Panel unanimously accepted the PGR’s indictment, formally making Rodrigues a defendant on more serious charges related to an attempted overthrow and armed conspiracy.
Legal analysts say the STF’s stance highlights the judiciary’s role in confronting threats to public safety and democratic institutions. By upholding preventive detention, the court signalled an emphasis on preventing further violence while criminal proceedings continue.
Prosecutors and the court have argued that swift and decisive custody measures are necessary in cases where alleged conduct threatens large-scale public safety and the constitutional order. Defence lawyers maintain that custody should be proportionate and requested reconsideration on procedural grounds. The court’s written ruling, however, found no intervening facts that would justify release at this stage.
The case remains subject to ongoing proceedings at the Supreme Court, where judges will continue to assess the charges linked to an effort to subvert democratic governance. For now, Rodrigues remains in custody as the highest court considers the merits of the PGR’s allegations.
Key Takeaways:
- Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes upheld preventive detention of Alan Diego dos Santos Rodrigues over an attempted bomb attack near Brasília’s international airport.
- Authorities say Rodrigues fled after the December 2022 incident and was arrested in June; court cited real risk of re-offending and the need to protect public order.
- Prosecutors have charged Rodrigues with crimes against the democratic order, including attempted coup and armed criminal association; two co-defendants have been implicated.
- Earlier convictions for explosion and arson were followed by the Supreme Court accepting more serious charges in December 2025.
