Former deputy Rodrigo Bacellar (União), ex-president of the Rio de Janeiro Legislative Assembly (Alerj), was preventively arrested by the Federal Police on Friday, March 27, 2026, by order of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The action followed the cassation of his mandate by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). His defense called the arrest 'undue and unnecessary'.
Rodrigo Bacellar was detained at his mansion in Teresópolis, in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro, and taken to the Federal Police superintendency, from where he will be transferred to the federal penitentiary system. This is his second arrest in the same inquiry, after five days detained in December 2025, when the Alerj revoked the measure as he was still a deputy.
The preventive arrest was decreed ex officio by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, without request from the Public Prosecutor's Office or Federal Police, justifying that the TSE's cassation of Bacellar's mandate on Tuesday, March 24, nullified the Alerj's decision. The TSE cassated the mandate for abuse of political and economic power in the 2022 elections, in the same ruling that condemned former governor Cláudio Castro (PL). Moraes argued the arrest is necessary 'in view of the convenience of the criminal instruction and to ensure the application of the penal law, as well as public order'.
Bacellar was indicted by the Attorney General's Office (PGR) for obstructing the Zargun Operation investigation, launched in September 2025 against former deputy TH Joias, linked to Comando Vermelho. According to the indictment, Bacellar warned TH Joias about the operation, leading him to change phones, empty his Alerj office and home, destroying evidence. Recovered messages show closeness between Bacellar, TH Joias, and TRF-2 Justice Macário Júdice Neto, who was removed from duties. The probe is part of the Missão Redentor II task force by Rio's Federal Police, stemming from the STF's 'ADPF das Favelas'.
Bacellar wore an electronic anklet and complied with precautionary measures. Recently, he could not be located at his south zone Rio residence for indictment notification, but defense stated he was in Teresópolis. His lawyers Daniel Bialski and Roberto Podval issued a statement: 'Our client had been faithfully and completely complying with all imposed precautionary measures' and will appeal the arrest.
