Brazil's federal police formally accused ex-President Jair Bolsonaro of his role in an alleged coup attempt after he lost the 2022 presidential elections, according to a statement directly naming him on Thursday.

Police said 36 other people were also accused, including Bolsonaro's former justice and defense ministers and the country's former head of the navy.

The formal accusations from the police would pose a new setback to Bolsonaro's 2026 presidential ambitions.

His supporters have been attempting to reverse a court decision that bars him from running, citing his efforts to undermine the credibility of the country's voting system in 2022.

The police investigation will identify Bolsonaro as a key figure in the conspiracy and seek to hold him criminally accountable for attempting to violently overthrow democracy, a source said.

The source added that senior figures from Bolsonaro's government will be implicated, including his 2022 running mate, retired General Walter Braga Netto, former Defense Minister, and retired General Augusto Heleno, former National Security Advisor, along with around 40 other suspects.

Five officers accused of involvement in a coup plot 

On Tuesday, Brazilian police detained five officers accused of involvement in a coup plot aimed at overthrowing the government and assassinating President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, authorities announced. 

The investigation revealed that the conspirators also intended to target Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Brazilian media reported that those arrested included four military personnel and one police officer.  

Police confirmed the execution of five arrest warrants, along with three search and seizure operations. Additional measures include confiscating the suspects' passports and restricting their communication with others.

According to Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who approved the arrests, the police investigation found that military personnel trained with the nation's special forces, as well as a retired senior official, were involved in the coup plot. 

Reports emerged on Tuesday that two senior Brazilian military leaders had informed police earlier this year that former President Jair Bolsonaro had proposed a plan to retain power after losing the 2022 election. However, both leaders rejected the plan and warned Bolsonaro they would arrest him if he attempted to proceed, based on judicial documents released in March.

The statements by the two officials further complicate Bolsonaro's legal challenges, as prosecutors work to establish connections between the far-right leader and January 8, 2023, riots that vandalized government buildings in Brasilia, just a week after Lula's inauguration.

What happened on January 8?

Supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro broke into the country's Planalto presidential palace and Congress building on January 8, 2023, in protest against leftist President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva who defeated far-right Bolsonaro in the presidential elections held on October 30.

Hundreds of protesters holding the Brazilian flag stormed the national congress and took the roofs waving the country's flags despite attempts by security officers to contain the unrest, an AFP photographer said.

Protesters also raided the Supreme Court building in the vicinity of the presidential palace.