In a statement from Brazil's federal police, it is stated that the suspects are "soldiers with training in the country's special forces".
The suspects were arrested on Tuesday in a comprehensive operation. The goal of the police operation was to stop "a criminal organization responsible for planning a coup and thereby preventing the democratically elected government from taking power in 2022", according to the federal police's statement.
Codename Dolk
The coup was to be carried out on December 15, 2022, weeks before Lula da Silva was to formally take over the presidency from Jair Bolsonaro. The plans included assassinating the future president, the vice president, and one of the Supreme Court judges.
The plot bore the codename "Green and Yellow Dolk" with reference to the colors of the Brazilian flag, according to the police statement. The suspected conspirators in the plot also possess "advanced military" skills.
A police source stated after the arrests that the suspects were caught in Rio de Janeiro where they participated in security operations for the G20 summit.
The statement is denied by the military in Brazil:
"These soldiers are not part of the operation to ensure order at the G20 summit", the military writes in a statement.
The federal police do not comment on the claim that they would have been part of the summit's security organization.
Stormed Parliament
Left-wing President Lula da Silva won over incumbent President Bolsonaro with a political home on the far right in the 2022 presidential election. Supporters of Bolsonaro stormed the parliament and government buildings in the capital Brasilia on January 8, 2023, in a coordinated uprising.
Several police investigations are ongoing into both the storming of government buildings and several suspected plots to prevent Lula da Silva from being sworn in as president.
