U.S. sanctions Brazilian Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes over alleged abuses of authority

Tommy, a State Department spokesperson, described Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes as "an activist judge that abused his authority by engaging in a targeted and politically motivated effort designed to silence political critics." Tommy said the U.S. action followed Treasury Department sanctions and cited alleged secret court orders that compelled online platforms, including U.S. social media companies, to ban accounts and alleged authorization of unjust pretrial detentions that undermined freedom of expression.

"The actions taken by Moraes impact US persons and companies, and The United States does not tolerate malign foreign actors who abuse their positions of authority to undermine freedom of expression of American citizens," Tommy said at the briefing. When asked whether the United States would expand sanctions or impose broader travel restrictions on other Brazilians, Tommy said he would not preview further measures but stressed the seriousness with which the department views the actions.

Reporters asked whether the State Department had a readout of any diplomatic engagement on the matter; Tommy said he had no readout to provide on meetings. The spokesperson declined to speculate about wider travel bans or next-year events such as the World Cup.