STF Authorizes Third Inquiry Into Lula’s Son as Federal Investigations Broaden

Overview

• Supreme Court minister Flávio Dino authorized a third inquérito into Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, known as Lulinha, on suspicions of corruption and influence peddling, a move reported on Tuesday that adds to two earlier probes opened by minister André Mendonça.
• Police Federal operations have continued in parallel with new court orders, including 18 search warrants tied to the INSS 'Sem Desconto' investigation that produced evidence such as a money‑counting machine and searches of relatives of Senator Weverton Rocha.
• Earlier PF actions in June resulted in the seizure of 13 luxury watches and roughly R$479,000 in cash linked to Senator Jaques Wagner after STF relator André Mendonça overruled the PGR’s objection to such intrusive measures.
• The Procuradoria‑Geral da República, led by Paulo Gonet, has formally opposed some of the more invasive acts and urged less‑intrusive steps like breaking financial or phone secrecy first, creating clear institutional friction with the PF and some STF relators.
• The probes have prompted rapid political fallout with denials from defendants, high‑profile lawyers retained by targets, and opposition figures using the revelations to press attacks that have already produced party shifts and campaign headaches ahead of the 2026 election.