Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after being determined a 'concrete flight risk' while under house arrest.
The right-wing former Brazilian president was found guilty of plotting a military coup in September and sentenced to more than 27 years in prison, but he remains under house arrest pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old was a preventative measure after 'new facts' came to light.
Bolsonaro admitted he had tried to open his ankle monitor with a soldering iron - but denied he wanted to remove it. Court officials said he wanted to use a planned rally outside his house as a cover to break free.
In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former president's 'intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape'.
This, it said, would be 'facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son'.
Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves a senator, called for a gathering of his supporters near his father's home to take place on Saturday night.
He said the vigil would enable supporters to 'pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our country'.
To explain his decision, Justice Moraes cited the possibility of Bolsonaro fleeing to foreign embassies, citing 'a history of planning to request asylum through a diplomatic representation'.
The court filing notes that the US embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is located about 13km (8 miles) from Bolsonaro's home.
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, prompting him to impose a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being held in a police station in Brasilia and will undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
The request included arguments for Bolsonaro to be allowed to leave his home for medical treatment, as he requires regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plot which included plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Moraes - who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
During his presidency, Bolsonaro faced significant backlash for various actions, and his recent trial reinforces the divisions within Brazil's political landscape.
