Brazil Court-Police Friction Simmers as New US Official Takes Office
Brazil · POLITICS
Key Facts
—Meeting: Fachin received Federal Police director Andrei Rodrigues on Aug 17.
—Inquiries: Three investigations touch Lula’s son Fábio Luís; no charges filed.
—Payments: Luchsinger’s R$249,000 to Marcola described as loan repayment.
—Jewellery: R$9,200 earrings and necklace gifted to Marcola, not an invoice.
—US: Juan Pablo Segura took office as Assistant Secretary of State on Aug 14.
—Sanctions: Moraes sanctioned July 2025, removed December 2025; none now.
Brazil’s top court chief meets the Federal Police director over evidence-sharing friction. The US installs a new point man for Latin America as trade disputes continue.
Brazil’s Supreme Court chief justice met the Federal Police director on Monday to ease friction over sharing raw investigative material. The US installed a new point man for Latin America as trade disputes continue.
Federal Police: Top Court Chief Meets Police Director
Supreme Court Chief Justice Edson Fachin received Federal Police director Andrei Rodrigues for a meeting on the morning of Monday 17 August. The meeting took place in Fachin’s office at his request, according to Metrópoles.
The conversation addressed what reports describe as a crisis with Justice André Mendonça. Mendonça, rapporteur for the INSS fraud investigation, has sought the court’s support over police resistance to his order to share all raw documents, Metrópoles reported on 17 August.
Probes Touch Lula’s Son
The friction surrounds investigations that touch Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, President Lula’s eldest son, known as Lulinha. He is suspected of influence peddling in alleged illicit business dealings with federal agencies, according to Valor International on 4 August.
This is the third criminal investigation involving Lulinha, Gazeta do Povo reported. No inquiry against him has resulted in formal charges; all three matters remain at the investigative stage, and Lula himself is not reported as a target.
Lobbyist Payments and Gifts
Reports detail payments by lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger to Marco Aurélio Santana Ribeiro, known as Marcola, Lula’s former chief of staff dismissed on 21 July 2026. O Globo reported on 17 August that Luchsinger told Lulinha in messages they work at ‘another’ level and that their future is Switzerland.
On 29 April 2024, Luchsinger bought diamond solitaire earrings and a diamond necklace worth R$9,200 as a gift to Marcola, who sent her references and approved the pieces, O Globo reported. She paid Marcola R$249,000 during 2025, partly by settling his personal bills from barcodes he sent, with Marcola calling it ‘the personal loan I obtained from her,’ O Globo and Metrópoles reported on 3 and 4 August.
A separate, unvalued invoice in the messages, dated 23 July 2023, shows Lulinha telling her ‘Emite a NF pro Cleber’ — bill a businessman also under investigation. Luchsinger’s lawyer Roberto Podval refused to comment for this story, citing the secrecy of the case file: ‘não vai comentar, em razão do sigilo do inquérito.’
New US Official Takes Office
Juan Pablo Segura assumed office as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs on Friday 14 August, after Senate confirmation, G1 reported on 18 August. He was nominated by President Donald Trump in April.
In February 2025, Segura used social media to criticize Brazil after Justice Alexandre de Moraes fined X R$8 million for refusing to provide user data for an account attributed to blogger Allan dos Santos, G1 reported. Segura suggested Brazil was trying to censor people on US soil; Elon Musk responded with supportive emojis.
On Monday 17 August, Segura posted that he would work to implement Trump’s vision for the region, focusing on cartels, narcoterrorists, prosperity, and securing borders, G1 reported.
Trade and Sanctions Status
The US imposed an additional 25% tariff on certain Brazilian goods under Section 301, effective 22 July, and a 12.5% forced-labour-linked tariff effective 24 July. Combined, they can reach 37.5% on categories like sugar and apparel, UPI reported on 14 August.
The 25% duty covers about a third of Brazilian exports: machinery, electrical equipment, granite, gold, tyres, sugar and apparel. Another 44% is exempt outright, including coffee, orange juice, beef, cocoa, nuts, tropical fruit, ores, petroleum, wood pulp and civil aircraft.
Steel sits outside both figures. It falls under Section 232 with aluminium, copper, cars and lumber, a group covering 13% of exports.
On sanctions, no Brazilian official is currently under Global Magnitsky measures. Justice Moraes was sanctioned in July 2025 and removed in December 2025, though Washington is discussing renewed sanctions, Reuters reported on 16 August.
What to Watch
The Federal Police dispute centers on who controls access to raw evidence, not the merits of the INSS case. Expect the court to clarify the extent of a rapporteur’s access to investigative material.
Brazil opened a reciprocity process on 13 August and requested WTO consultations; the US accepted, with no date set. Bilateral talks continue, but no agreement has been announced as of mid-August.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the dispute between the Federal Police and Justice Mendonça?
Justice Mendonça, as rapporteur, ordered the Federal Police to share all raw investigative material in the INSS fraud case. The police have resisted, and Chief Justice Fachin met the police director to address the crisis.
Has Lula’s son been charged?
No. All three investigations involving Fábio Luís Lula da Silva remain at the investigative stage, with no formal charges filed. President Lula is not reported as a target.
Who is Juan Pablo Segura?
He is the new Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, confirmed by the US Senate and sworn in on August 14. He has criticized Brazil over a Supreme Court decision involving social media platform X.
What is the current status of US sanctions on Brazilian officials?
No Brazilian official is under Global Magnitsky sanctions as of August 2026. Justice Moraes was sanctioned in July 2025 but removed in December 2025, though new sanctions are being discussed.
Sources
- www.metropoles.com
- www.poder360.com.br
- valorinternational.globo.com
- oglobo.globo.com
- www.reuters.com
- www.riotimesonline.com
- g1.globo.com
- www.upi.com
- www.reuters.com
- www.riotimesonline.com
- www.gazetadopovo.com.br
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