Overview

• The Treasury Department targeted Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes for an “oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions, and politicized prosecutions,” including against former President Jair Bolsonaro.
• The sanctions block any assets or property de Moraes may hold in the United States under a freeze order.
• This action follows July 18 visa restrictions on Brazilian judicial officials imposed by the State Department.
• President Trump has threatened a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports, with the steep levy set to take effect this Friday.
• Brazil’s President Lula has defended the judiciary’s independence and condemned what his administration calls US interference in Brazil’s legal affairs.