Man in Fake ICE Gear Arrested at Miami Polling Site for Brazil's Election
Authorities say a Port St. Lucie man voted at Miami Dade College's Kendall Campus, then came back dressed as an immigration agent to film frightened Brazilian voters. He faces charges including voter intimidation.
A man who allegedly dressed as a federal immigration agent and walked among voters at a Miami polling site during Brazil's presidential election has been arrested and charged with voter intimidation, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office.
Danilo Alves Silva, 46, of Port St. Lucie, was taken into custody on Sunday, October 4, at Miami Dade College's Kendall Campus, one of two sites in Florida where Brazilian citizens living abroad could cast ballots in the first round of their country's presidential election. Silva, who was born in Brazil, was arrested by detectives from the sheriff's office Homeland Security Bureau.
According to reports by CBS News Miami and the Miami Herald, Silva voted first, then changed into an outfit styled after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement gear and returned to the polling site to record people's reactions. Authorities said the costume included a blue ICE cap, sunglasses, a camouflage face mask, an ICE-style raid jacket, tactical boots and a handheld radio. Voters, many of them immigrants, reportedly feared he was a real federal agent.
Silva told detectives he had bought the costume on Amazon, according to the reports. Investigators also allege that he threatened a detective and offered money in exchange for his release, telling the officer, "I will get you paid if you let me go."
The charges
Silva faces five charges. CBS News Miami listed them as felony voter intimidation, bribery, threatening a public servant, unlawful use of police insignia and disorderly conduct; the Miami Herald described the bribery count as conspiracy to commit bribery. Miami Dade College also issued him a trespass warning barring him from the Kendall Campus.
Accounts of his bond also differ. CBS News Miami reported that Silva posted a total bond of $5,650, while the Herald, citing jail records, reported that no bond had been set on the voter intimidation charge as of October 5. He appeared before a judge that day.
A hearing is scheduled for October 19, when prosecutors are expected to decide whether to formally file charges. Silva has not been convicted of any crime, and it was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
A tense backdrop
South Florida is home to one of the largest Brazilian communities in the United States, and crowds of expatriates turned out to vote at the Kendall Campus on election day. For many immigrant families in Miami, the sight of an apparent ICE officer at a crowded public gathering is no joke. The case is a reminder that impersonating law enforcement, especially at a polling place, can carry serious legal consequences.
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