US targets Brazilian justice’s wife with sanctions; will revoke more visas

The US Department of the Treasury has reportedly revoked visas for the wife of a Supreme Court justice, while the US Department of the Treasury has reportedly revoked visas for six additional Brazilian judges.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has increased sanctions against Viviane Barci de Moraes, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, as part of an expansion of its sanctions against Brazil’s judiciary.

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According to a Treasury Department notice, the US government has also imposed sanctions on Barci de Moraes and other family members who the US government believes could use as a means to evade pre-existing sanctions.

A White House official informed Reuters news agency that the government is suspending the visas of Brazilian Solicitor General Jorge Messias and five other former and current Brazilian judicial officials shortly after those sanctions were made public.

The Supreme Court of Brazil did not comment. The law office of Barci de Moraes did not respond to a request for comment right away.

Right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro was found guilty this month of plotting a coup to defeat the current leftist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the 2022 election, and Alexandre de Moraes presided over the criminal case. He received a 27-year prison sentence.

Although jurors said their chances of success are slim, his attorneys said they would appeal the verdict.

The Global Magnitsky Act, which enables the US to impose economic sanctions against foreigners with a history of corruption or human rights abuses, was applied to Alexandre de Moraes in July.

The most recent sanctions, taken together, represent a furthering of the two largest democracies in the Western Hemisphere’s ongoing diplomatic conflict.

The criminal case against Bolsonaro has long been dismissed by Trump and his political allies as a plot to defraud. The US president has frequently stated that he admires the former Brazilian leader for having a similar spirit. He was himself charged with trying to stay in power after losing to former president Joe Biden in the election of 2020.

After being subjected to US sanctions, Alexandre de Moraes has remained firm on Brazil’s judicial independence.

Respect originates in independence. He claimed in August that a subservient, cowardly judiciary is not independent and only makes deals to calm the nation.