Brazil Hands Refit Probe Files to U.S. Envoy as Lula Seeks Joint Crackdown

Overview

• Finance Minister Fernando Haddad met acting U.S. ambassador Gabriel Escobar and delivered documentation from Operação Poço de Lobato.
• The investigation targets Grupo Refit for alleged tax evasion and money laundering using Delaware offshores, with about R$72 billion reportedly moved in one year.
• Haddad said Escobar showed enthusiasm for collaboration and indicated the United States would present a partnership proposal to counter organized crime.
• President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called President Donald Trump earlier in the week to seek help capturing Brazilians tied to criminal factions in the U.S., after Brazil translated case materials for the outreach.
• Haddad highlighted the arrival of U.S.-made rifles and parts via ports and land routes due to lapses such as limited container scanning, and proposed rapid information-sharing on flagged shipments.