Brazil Hands U.S. Case Files as Washington Prepares Crime-Fighting Proposal

Overview

• Finance Minister Fernando Haddad handed Operation Poço de Lobato documents to U.S. chargé d’affaires Gabriel Escobar in Brasília on Dec. 4.
• Haddad said Escobar showed strong interest and that the United States will present a formal cooperation plan focused on organized crime and money laundering.
• Brazil seeks an expedited alert channel to identify exporters, recipients and potential port tampering when containers from the U.S. arrive with rifle components.
• Investigators report Grupo Refit moved about R$72 billion in a year through Delaware offshores, with 55 investment funds under scrutiny in Brazil and abroad.
• Authorities plan to transmit case materials with legal safeguards to preserve evidentiary value, following a Lula–Trump call and a formal Brazilian letter that triggered the meeting.