The Federal Police (PF) report that indicted 37 people for coup d’état and violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law points out that Admiral Almir Garnier agreed with the coup movement, placing troops at the disposal of then-president Jair Bolsonaro. Garnier is a squadron admiral and at the time of the facts investigated he was in command of the Brazilian Navy. 
According to the report, messages seized on the cell phone of Lieutenant Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro’s aide-de-camp, show a conversation in which a contact named “Riva” says: “Alte Garnier is a PATRIOT. They had tanks in the Arsenal ready.” In response, the interlocutor says that “01”, referring to Bolsonaro, should have “broken” with the Navy (MB), which the Army and Air Force would go after. THE print of this conversation was forwarded by Colonel Sérgio Cavaliere to Mauro Cid.
According to the Federal Police, the commanders of the Army and Air Force were against adhering to any plan that would prevent the legitimately elected government from taking office. The Navy commander, Admiral Garnier, made himself available to carry out Bolsonaro’s orders.
“The evidence obtained, such as text messages and statements from the then Commanders of the Air Force and the Army provided to the Federal Police, show that the then commander of the Brazilian Navy, Admiral Almir Garnier, was the only one among the three to adhere to the plan which aimed to abolish the Democratic Rule of Law”
According to the exchanges of messages between those investigated and supporters of the coup d’état described throughout the report, Garnier’s adherence served as a criminal organization to further pressure the Army High Command to adhere to the plan that aimed to abolish the Democratic Rule of Law. There are records that the then Navy commander was recognized as a “patriot”.
In a statement, Garnier’s defense reiterated the investigation’s innocence.
