Brazil Court Authorizes Asset Search for Ex-Bolsonaro Ally Carla Zambelli Over R$86,000 Debt

A Federal Court in Brasília has authorized a search for vehicles and financial assets belonging to former federal deputy Carla Zambelli, a prominent conservative ally of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, as part of a debt collection effort by the state-owned bank Caixa Econômica Federal. The bank is seeking to recover a debt exceeding R$86,000 (roughly USD $15,800), stemming from credit card and loan contracts.

The court granted the order to search for assets and accounts before formally citing, or notifying, Ms. Zambelli in the civil lawsuit. The decision was specifically made because of the difficulty in locating the former lawmaker, who is currently residing in Italy. Caixa Econômica Federal, which functions as Brazil's second-largest public bank and a key financier for social programs and housing, requested the preemptive search to identify any recoverable funds.

Ms. Zambelli, whose federal mandate was revoked by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) in a separate criminal case, is facing a conviction in Brazil related to the invasion of a justice system database. She has been in Italy since her release from an Italian prison in May 2026, where a high court annulled a Brazilian extradition request against her.

The court’s decision underscores the persistence of legal and financial accountability for high-profile figures from the previous administration, even for those currently outside of Brazil’s jurisdiction. Ms. Zambelli has stated that the value demanded by the bank includes expenses related to her former congressional office, and that some of her financial assets are already blocked by order of the STF in connection with her criminal conviction.

Following the authorization, the court will initiate proceedings to check all available federal systems for her financial holdings. Caixa now has 20 days to inform the Brazilian Federal Court whether it will pursue the formal next step of citing Ms. Zambelli via a carta rogatória, or letter rogatory, a formal request for judicial assistance sent to Italian authorities to notify her of the ongoing civil suit.