Brazil’s Supreme Court orders arrest of Bolsonaro’s former justice minister

By Bala Chambers

BUENOS AIRES (AA) - Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has ordered the arrest of former Justice Minister Anderson Torres, who served in ex-President Jair Bolsonaro's administration.

The move comes after hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters invaded and ransacked government buildings in the capital Brasilia on Sunday, according to the G1 news outlet.

Torres left the Justice Ministry at the end of Bolsonaro's administration and was appointed as Federal District Security Secretary by Federal District Governor Ibaneis Rocha.

On Tuesday, a video posted by G1 showed federal police standing around Torres' home in the Jardim Botânico neighborhood of Brasilia.

Torres distanced himself from the weekend’s events and refuted allegations of his involvement in a post on Twitter.

According to the Metropoles news outlet, he is still in Orlando, Florida in the US, having travelled there prior to Sunday's events and is understood to be planning to return and surrender himself to authorities as he seeks legal advice.

The Supreme Court had already ruled to remove Rocha from office for three months following the raids on government buildings by Bolsonaro supporters.

On Sunday, Bolsonaro supporters managed to invade and ransack three branches of the government in Brasilia -- the Planalto Palace, or President's office, the National Congress and the Supreme Federal Court -- until they were eventually contained by security forces.