The Big Fall: Moraes Joins Hezbollah and Cartel Figures on U.S. Blacklist for Human Rights Abuses

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes—often described as Brazil’s unelected de facto ruler—for alleged human rights abuses.

Accused of using judicial power to impose censorship, carry out arbitrary arrests, and target political opponents, Moraes now appears on a roster that typically includes figures tied to global terrorism and organized crime. His U.S.-based assets are frozen, and he and his family are barred from entering the country.

This move marks an unusual expansion of U.S. sanctions, targeting not only criminals but also high-ranking officials whose actions are seen as undermining democratic safeguards and market stability.

Alongside Moraes are 16 individuals sanctioned for direct involvement in terrorism or organized crime, according to OFAC records:

Ahmad Al-Khatib – Operated Al Qaeda network support from a São Paulo furniture store.

Ali Muhammad Kazan – Major Hezbollah fund collector in the Tri-Border region.

Assad Ahmad Barakat – Ran Hezbollah money laundering and extortion via electronics front companies.

Bilal Mohsen Wehbe – Hezbollah’s chief South American coordinator.

Ciro Daniel Amorim Ferreira – Financed international white-supremacist terrorism, linked to attacks and plots abroad.

Diego Macedo Gonçalves do Carmo – Laundered more than one billion reais for the PCC crime gang.

Fahd Jamil Georges – Drug trafficker with strongholds at the Brazil-Paraguay border.

Farouk Omairi – Facilitated Hezbollah arms trafficking, document fraud, and narcotics logistics.

Haytham Ahmad Shukri Ahmad Al-Maghrabi – Al Qaeda financial operator and tech facilitator in Brazil.

Kassem Mohamad Hijazi – Led money laundering for Lebanese cartels in Paraguay.

Leonardo Dias Mendonça – Arranged FARC cocaine deals for Brazilian syndicates.

Mohamad Tarabain Chamas – Supported Hezbollah’s logistics and finance in Paraguay.

Mohamed Ahmed Elsayed Ahmed Ibrahim – Supplied Al Qaeda and laundered funds for Brazil’s top criminal factions.

Mohamed Sherif Mohamed Mohamed Awadd – Managed illicit Al Qaeda funds and currency forgery.

Muhammad Yusif Abdallah – Senior Hezbollah financier in South America.

Osama Abdelmongy Abdalla Bakr – Provided ISIS with money and attempted arms purchases.

Brasília has condemned the sanctions as political interference, especially as Moraes leads inquiries into former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Domestically, concerns mount over the exposure of Brazilian businesses linked to sanctioned figures—highlighting that unchecked judicial authority can threaten stability as gravely as organized crime.

Brazil’s Senate is now experiencing growing pressure to impeach Moraes. As of early August, 34 of the 81 senators back his removal, though the two-thirds majority required—54 votes—remains elusive.

Critics argue he has accrued unchecked power at the expense of democratic norms, while defenders warn that ousting a Supreme Court justice could damage institutional integrity.