MIAMI, Florida: Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami with his family on October 28 after leaving Brazil following a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports. The United States said it would grant them entry visas despite an ongoing money-laundering investigation against the senator, who denies wrongdoing.

Bolsonaro lost the presidential election to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. His departure from Brazil came amid uncertainty over his whereabouts and rising political tensions between Brasilia and Washington.

Reuters television footage showed Bolsonaro, his wife and two daughters leaving a Gulfstream G400 private jet at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport.

Their journey attracted attention across Latin America. According to Argentina's migration department, the family entered northern Argentina late on Tuesday. They then traveled by private jet to Guayaquil, Ecuador, before flying to Miami.

Argentina's presidency, Ecuadorian government ministries and Baires Fly, the private jet operator, did not respond to requests for comment.

Bolsonaro's departure could deepen tensions between Brazil and the United States, the two most populous countries in the Americas.

Lula has accused Washington of working with the Bolsonaro family to help them return to power. Before the October 25 election, Reuters reported on a U.S. State Department campaign aimed at restoring the family's political influence.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on October 28 that he supported Bolsonaro coming to the United States. His comments followed the State Department's announcement that it would issue visas to the senator and his family.

Trump has previously claimed that Flávio's father, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, was unfairly targeted by Brazil's judicial system.

Jair Bolsonaro also traveled to the United States after refusing to accept Lula's victory in the 2022 presidential election, during Joe Biden's presidency. He later returned to Brazil and was sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after his supporters stormed government buildings in Brasilia.

Flávio Bolsonaro had been widely expected to win Sunday's election but suffered an unexpected defeat. His departure came as he faced a legal investigation and a deadline to surrender his passports.

The senator is due to lose his parliamentary immunity from prosecution when his Senate term ends in February, potentially exposing him to further legal action.

On October 26, after the Supreme Court issued the order, Bolsonaro denied plans to leave Brazil and said he would challenge the decision.

"I have never thought about leaving the country," he said. "I will hand over my passports and defend myself against this travesty, which is a clear attempt to intimidate me."

His subsequent journey to the United States raised questions about his legal position and future political plans. The case also heightened tensions around the election, with Lula's government facing allegations from the Bolsonaro camp and its supporters about the political consequences of the result.