He was arrested on Tuesday after the Brazilian military plane he was travelling in made a stopover in Seville in southwestern Spain on its way to Japan, said a spokeswoman for Spain's Guardia Civil police force.
“His suitcase contained only drugs,” she added.
A court ordered Wednesday that the man, who is reported to be 38 years-old and a member of the Brazilian air force, be held in preventative detention on the charge of drug trafficking.
Bolsonaro, who has promised a tough stance on gangs which profit from drug trafficking, confirmed the arrest on Twitter on Tuesday, saying he had ordered Brazil's defence ministry to cooperate with Spanish police.
— Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) June 25, 2019
“If the soldier is found to have committed a crime, he will be tried and convicted according to the law,” he added.
The summit of the Group of 20 major economies, the so-called G20, will take place on Friday and Saturday in Osaka in western Japan.
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