“Financial Times” published this Sunday (16 August) that reissuing the restriction would be under analysis after searches against journalist Luis Pablo
The United States government is evaluating new sanctions against Federal Supreme Court minister Alexandre de Moraes. The discussion would have resurfaced after Moraes authorized police searches against Maranhão journalist Luis Pablo Conceição Almeida, in March 2026, leading to the breaking of the journalist’s source confidentiality. The information is from Financial Times.
Among the measures, the British newspaper mentions are the freezing of assets held in the USA and the prohibition of American companies and citizens doing business with those targeted by the sanctions.
The possibility of new sanctions is directly related to reports published by journalist Luis Pablo about the alleged irregular use of official cars by STF minister Flávio Dino and his family in Maranhão. Moraes, rapporteur of the case at the STF, maintains that the information conveyed was obtained and disclosed illegally.
The minister also argues that the content of the reports indicates that the author used some state mechanism to identify and characterize the vehicles used, which would allow undue exposure related to the security of authorities.
The journalist denies all accusations.
Moraes has been the target of criticism because of the way he has handled the case. During the investigations, the journalist’s breach of confidentiality led investigators to the journalist’s main source: Raimundo Cutrim, former secretary of Legislative Affairs of the Maranhão government. This is a person with controversial actions in politics and at the state level.
In July, around 3 months after the search and seizure operation was carried out against the journalist who exposed the use of official cars by Flávio Dino, the minister himself ordered Cutrim’s removal from office and his house arrest in another investigation, related to suspicions of coercion and obstruction of justice in the Tech Office case.
Several Brazilian newspapers, including this one Poder360published editorials highlighting the problem of the breach of confidentiality recorded during the investigation: “More than the objective case itself, the decision to break the journalist’s confidentiality creates a dangerous precedent for democracy. And it provides a very strong indication of which principles prevail in practice within the Brazilian Judiciary”says an excerpt from the editorial of this digital newspaper.
Read more about the case of breaking the confidentiality of a journalist’s source in Maranhão:
LEI MAGNITISKY
The US government had already applied sanctions to Moraes based on the Magnitsky Act in July 2025. The measure was justified by the US government for what it understands to be human rights abuses, including detentions considered arbitrary and restrictions on freedom of expression.
The US Treasury also cited the minister’s role in cases against former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and his supporters.
The restrictions were applied under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, legislation that allows the US to impose measures against foreigners accused of serious human rights violations or corruption. In Moraes’ case, the measure blocked any assets and financial interests under US jurisdiction and, in general, prohibited US people and companies from carrying out transactions with him.
In December 2025, the United States removed Moraes from the list of those punished, ending the measures imposed in July.
Source: https://www.poder360.com.br/poder-internacional/eua-avaliam-reimpor-lei-magnitsky-contra-moraes-diz-jornal/
