Reciprocal Retaliation
On Wednesday, Brazil’s Federal Police and Foreign Ministry confirmed that a Brasilia-based U.S. immigration officer is no longer authorized to perform official duties. This move was explicitly framed as an act of reciprocity after Washington ordered Brazilian security attaché Marcelo Ivo de Carvalho to leave the U.S. earlier in the week.
The Triggering Incident
The friction escalated following the brief detention of former Brazilian lawmaker Alexandre Ramagem by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Ramagem, an ally of former President Jair Bolsonaro, had fled to the U.S. after being convicted of involvement in a coup plot. While the U.S. revoked De Carvalho’s credentials without providing a formal explanation to Brasilia, Brazil responded by targeting a U.S. official in a “corresponding area” of operations.
Official Statements
Federal Police Director-General Andrei Rodrigues expressed regret over the decision but emphasized that Brazil felt compelled to act after its own liaison in Miami was ousted. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had previously warned that his administration would mirror any perceived “abuses” or unilateral actions taken by U.S. authorities against Brazilian officials.
Strained Relations
The standoff marks a low point in security cooperation between the two largest democracies in the Americas. While the name of the affected U.S. official was not released, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry has summoned U.S. embassy representatives to demand clarification on why the Brazilian attaché was removed and to formalize the suspension of the U.S. officer’s activities.