Overview
- PF Director‑General Andrei Rodrigues publicly defended the force's neutrality at a police graduation on Friday, saying the institution investigates “without protecting or persecuting anyone.”
- Tension began after Minister André Mendonça took relatoria of high‑profile cases earlier in 2026 and then ordered the PF to hand over raw investigation documents and to notify his office before changing investigative teams.
- President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva directed Rodrigues to meet Mendonça and asked Justice Minister Wellington Lima to mediate the talks to prevent an escalation that could disrupt ongoing inquiries.
- STF President Edson Fachin has been brokering contacts between the court and government, while the PF sought institutional backing from the AGU and its 27 regional superintendents issued a public note backing Rodrigues.
- The dispute involves probes with political risk — INSS frauds, the Banco Master/Dark Horse case and inquiries tied to Fábio Luís 'Lulinha' — and could affect the pace and legal footing of future investigative steps.