Jun 27, 2019

Brazil officer traveling with Bolsonaro to G20 arrested for cocaine haul

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro. Photo: Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro tweeted Wednesday he's launched an investigation after an officer traveling in a presidential plane to the G20 summit in Japan was found with 86 pounds of cocaine when he stopped off in Spain.

Details: El Pais first reported a Brazilian Air Force officer traveling with Bolsonaro's G20 contingent was arrested at Spain's Seville airport. Authorities said they found the packages in his hand luggage, per El Pais.

I demanded immediate and severe punishment for the person responsible for the narcotic substance found in the military plane. We won’t tolerate such disrespect to our country!"
— Translation of Bolsonaro's tweet

Why it matters: Bolsonaro was elected on a populist platform with a mandate to be tough on crime, vowing to take a hardline approach to drug traffickers. drug traffickers.

Go deeper: Arrival of Brazil's Bolsonaro draws praise from Trump, fear from critics

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Axios
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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 12,859,834 — Total deaths: 567,123 — Total recoveries — 7,062,085 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 3,297,501— Total deaths: 135,155 — Total recoveries: 1,006,326 — Total tested: 40,282,176 — Map.
  3. States: Florida smashes single-day record for new coronavirus cases with over 15,000 — NYC reports zero coronavirus deaths for first time since pandemic hit.
  4. Public health: Ex-FDA chief projects "apex" of South's coronavirus curve in 2-3 weeks — Coronavirus testing czar: Lockdowns in hotspots "should be on the table"
  5. Education: Betsy DeVos says schools that don't reopen shouldn't get federal funds — Pelosi accuses Trump of "messing with the health of our children."
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Jonathan Swan
4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Scoop: How the White House is trying to trap leakers

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

President Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has told several White House staffers he's fed specific nuggets of information to suspected leakers to see if they pass them on to reporters — a trap that would confirm his suspicions. "Meadows told me he was doing that," said one former White House official. "I don't know if it ever worked."

Why it matters: This hunt for leakers has put some White House staffers on edge, with multiple officials telling Axios that Meadows has been unusually vocal about his tactics. So far, he's caught only one person, for a minor leak.

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Jacob Knutson
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11 GOP congressional nominees support QAnon conspiracy

Lauren Boebert posing in her restaurant in Rifle, Colorado, on April 24. Photo: Emily Kask/AFP

At least 11 Republican congressional nominees have publicly supported or defended the QAnon conspiracy theory movement or some of its tenets — and more aligned with the movement may still find a way onto ballots this year.

Why it matters: Their progress shows how a fringe online forum built on unsubstantiated claims and flagged as a threat by the FBI is seeking a foothold in the U.S. political mainstream.

Go deeper (3 min. read)Arrow