Brazil's Federal Police (PF) executed two search and seizure warrants on Friday (2) in São Paulo and in Águas Lindas, a city in the state of Goiás that borders the Federal District, as part of an investigation into an alleged plan that, according to the force, could "put United States diplomatic facilities in Brazil at risk". In a statement, the PF said it had so far found no elements corroborating the initially reported risks and had identified no suspects with ties to criminal organizations. The targets' names were not released because the case is under seal.
The operation came on the same day the United States closed its embassy in Brasília and all of its consulates across Brazil, citing "security concerns". Australia followed suit hours later, also without detailing its reasons. In a note sent to BBC News Brasil, the US State Department did not specify what threats had been identified and said "the Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans". Washington added that its missions abroad regularly use the STEP messaging system (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) to warn citizens about local risks.
For Brazil, the episode landed at the most sensitive point of the political calendar: two days before the first round of the presidential election, scheduled for Sunday (4). According to CartaCapital, the warrants were authorized by a lower court judge in the Federal District, and the sealed investigation has the collaboration of foreign intelligence agencies. Officers seized computers and cell phones, which will undergo forensic analysis.
"The pertinent measures were promptly adopted, and no elements corroborating the initially indicated risks have been verified so far, nor have any suspects with involvement in criminal organizations been identified. The investigations continue with the analysis of the seized communication equipment and media", the PF said in its statement.
Caution in the presidential palace
According to two sources heard by BBC News Brasil on condition of anonymity, US embassy representatives approached Brazilian authorities between Thursday and Friday to report what they described as "risks to the embassy". A diplomat with knowledge of the episode told the broadcaster that, as soon as the government was informed, the case was immediately handed over to the Federal Police.
An aide to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) told the BBC the government views the episode with concern and caution. In the Planalto, the presidential palace, the fear is that the abrupt closure of the missions, without the reported risks being confirmed, could signal to the international community that Brazil's election is not taking place in a calm climate. The aide cited a recent history of US initiatives read by Lula's administration as attempts to interfere in the race in favor of senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), Lula's main rival. According to him, however, the government did not treat the case as sabotage. This week, the United Kingdom also issued an alert to its citizens about risks linked to Brazil's election period.
Along the same lines, Lula's campaign asked the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), the body that oversees Brazilian elections, to include the suspension of US consular services in the ongoing investigation into alleged foreign interference in the election, G1 reported. The campaign argues that the embassy's decision, on the eve of the vote, generates insecurity.
The outcome now depends on the forensic examination of the seized equipment. As the presidential aide put it to the BBC, only the investigation conducted by the Federal Police will be able to indicate whether the risks identified by the US government were real or not.