Archive · 6 Dec 2025
Harvard Scholar Leaves US After Synagogue Incident
A professor from Brazil named Carlos Portugal Gouvea was visiting Harvard Law School.
One day, he was using a pellet gun to hunt rats near a synagogue called Temple Beth Zion.
This happened the day before an important Jewish holiday called Yom Kippur.
The police arrested him, and he had to say he was guilty in court.
He got six months of probation and had to pay for a broken car window.
The U.S. government then took away his visa, and he decided to leave the country instead of being deported.
The government said it was an anti-Semitic incident, but the police and the synagogue said it wasn't.
Harvard didn't comment on the situation.
Carlos Portugal Gouvea, a Brazilian visiting professor at Harvard Law School, was arrested for discharging a pellet gun near Temple Beth Zion synagogue in Brookline, Massachusetts.
The incident occurred on October 1, 2023, the day before Yom Kippur, and Gouvea claimed he was shooting at rats.
Gouvea pleaded guilty to illegally discharging the pellet gun and received six months of pretrial probation and had to pay $386.59 in restitution.
The Trump administration labeled the incident as anti-Semitic, but local authorities and the synagogue disputed this claim.
Gouvea's J-1 visa was revoked, and he voluntarily left the US on December 14, 2023, to avoid deportation.
- Who
- Carlos Portugal Gouvea, a Brazilian visiting professor at Harvard Law School
- What
- Arrested for discharging a pellet gun near a synagogue and subsequently left the US
- When
- Arrested on October 1, 2023, visa revoked on October 16, 2023, and left the US on December 14, 2023
- Where
- Brookline, Massachusetts, near Temple Beth Zion
- Why
- For illegally discharging a pellet gun and his visa was revoked due to the incident
Trump Administration
Local Authorities and Synagogue
Anti-Semitic Motive
Trump Administration
Described the incident as an anti-Semitic act.
Local Authorities and Synagogue
Disputed the claim, stating it did not appear to be motivated by anti-Semitism.
- Name
- Carlos Portugal Gouvea
- Nationality
- Brazilian
- Institution
- Harvard Law School
- Charges
- Illegally discharging a pellet gun, vandalism, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace
- Sentence
- Six months of pretrial probation and $386.59 in restitution
- Location
- Brookline, Massachusetts
- Synagogue
- Temple Beth Zion
- Holiday
- Yom Kippur
- Visa Status
- J-1 visa revoked
- Departure
- Voluntarily left the US
Sources
Harvard visiting scholar arrested after synagogue pellet-gun plea as visa is revoked - Telegraph India
Harvard professor arrested by US immigration agents after firing pellet gun near synagogue
J-1 visa revoked: Who is Carlos Portugal Gouvea? Harvard professor self-departs from US
