The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Wednesday sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, accusing him of carrying out arbitrary detentions and a broad campaign to suppress freedom of expression, including actions that targeted U.S. citizens and companies.
“Alexandre de Moraes has taken it upon himself to be judge and jury in an unlawful witch hunt against U.S. and Brazilian citizens and companies,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “He is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicized prosecutions—including against former President Jair Bolsonaro.”
The designation was issued by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under Executive Order 13818, which implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. The sanctions follow the State Department’s July 18 decision to revoke de Moraes’s visa, along with the visas of his immediate family members, citing their role in a transnational censorship operation against U.S. persons.
De Moraes, appointed to the Brazilian high court in 2017, has gained outsized power through his control of expansive investigations. U.S. officials allege he has misused his authority to detain individuals for extended periods without charge and retaliate against speech protected under the U.S. Constitution. One cited case involved the detention of a journalist for over a year, allegedly for criticizing de Moraes.
Targets of his actions reportedly include opposition figures like Bolsonaro, media outlets, and U.S. tech firms. According to OFAC, de Moraes has issued direct orders to U.S. social media platforms to remove hundreds of accounts, including those of American citizens. He is also accused of freezing assets, revoking passports, and directing raids on critics’ homes—often leading to pretrial detention.
Under the sanctions, all property and interests in property of de Moraes within the United States or in control of U.S. persons are now blocked. U.S. individuals and companies are generally prohibited from conducting transactions involving the sanctioned party, and any entities that are 50% or more owned by de Moraes are also blocked.
Violations of U.S. sanctions laws may lead to civil or criminal penalties. OFAC emphasized that while sanctions are intended to impose consequences, their broader goal is to encourage changes in behavior.
Read the Treasury Dept. Press Release
