The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes, a justice on Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF). The Treasury accuses de Moraes of using his position to authorize arbitrary pre-trial detentions and suppress freedom of expression.
“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 Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “De Moraes is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicized prosecutions—including against former President Jair Bolsonaro. Today’s action makes clear that Treasury will continue to hold accountable those who threaten U.S. interests and the freedoms of our citizens.”
The sanctions are imposed under Executive Order 13818, which implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. This law targets individuals involved in serious human rights abuses worldwide. The move comes after the U.S. Department of State revoked de Moraes’s visa, as well as those of his immediate family members, earlier this month due to their alleged involvement in censorship activities affecting U.S. persons.
According to the Treasury, since his appointment to Brazil’s STF in 2017, de Moraes has led investigations and prosecutions targeting speech protected by the U.S. Constitution, resulting in preventive detentions without charges. The department claims he has targeted opposition politicians such as former President Jair Bolsonaro, journalists, newspapers, social media platforms based in the United States, and other international companies.
Treasury officials allege that de Moraes ordered asset freezes, passport revocations, social media bans, raids on critics’ homes by federal police, and preventive detentions for journalists and social media users—including some located in the United States.
As a result of these sanctions, all property or interests belonging to de Moraes within the United States or controlled by U.S. persons are now blocked and must be reported to OFAC. Entities owned 50 percent or more by him are also affected by these restrictions. Unless specifically authorized by OFAC licenses or exemptions, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from conducting transactions involving sanctioned individuals or entities.
Violations can lead to civil or criminal penalties for both U.S. and foreign parties involved in prohibited transactions with designated persons.
“The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior,” according to information provided by OFAC.
For more details on today’s designation: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy20250730
