Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced late Friday that the U.S. has revoked the visas of Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, several of his judicial allies, and their immediate family members in response to what he described as a “political witch hunt” targeting former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
“[President Trump] made clear that his administration will hold accountable foreign nationals who are responsible for censorship of protected expression in the United States,” said Rubio, who is also serving as President Trump’s national security adviser.
“Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes’s political witch hunt against Jair Bolsonaro created a persecution and censorship complex so sweeping that it not only violates basic rights of Brazilians, but also extends beyond Brazil’s shores to target Americans,” Rubio continued.
“I have therefore ordered visa revocations for Moraes and his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members effective immediately,” he noted further.
The secretary of state’s announcement came hours after Brazil’s highest court issued restraining orders and search warrants against former President Jair Bolsonaro, barring him from contacting foreign officials. Authorities also placed an ankle monitor on Bolsonaro and conducted a police raid on his residence, The Hill reported.
In a ruling issued Friday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes barred former President Jair Bolsonaro—who was charged last year with attempting to overturn Brazil’s 2022 election—from using social media. Moraes cited concerns that Bolsonaro might try to flee the country, a claim the former president has denied.
Just days earlier, President Trump increased pressure on Brazil by threatening to impose a 50 percent tariff on all imports from the country in response to the ongoing prosecution of Bolsonaro over election fraud allegations.
“I feel supreme humiliation,” the former leader told Reuters in a recent interview. “I am 70 years old, I was president of the republic for four years.”
Bolsonaro and several of his allies, who contend the charges are politically motivated, were indicted in February over an alleged “coup” attempt and efforts to remain in power following his 2022 election loss to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
He has also been banned from running for public office until 2030, The Hill added.
Meanwhile, Venezuela on Friday released 10 jailed U.S. citizens and permanent residents in a deal that secured the return of dozens of migrants previously deported by the United States to El Salvador under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, officials confirmed.
The three-nation agreement marks a diplomatic win for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, advances President Donald Trump’s effort to repatriate Americans imprisoned overseas, and delivers on a prisoner swap proposal initiated months ago by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, The Associated Press reported.
“Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland,” Rubio said in a statement in which he thanked Bukele, a Trump ally.
Bukele said his country had handed over all the Venezuelan nationals in its custody. Maduro described Friday as “a day of blessings and good news for Venezuela.” He called it “the perfect day for Venezuela.”
At the heart of the deal are more than 250 Venezuelan migrants who were released by El Salvador after being held in its notorious mega-prison, the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).
In March, El Salvador agreed to a $6 million payment from the Trump administration to detain the migrants, most of whom had been accused of having ties to the violent Tren de Aragua street gang.
The arrangement sparked immediate backlash after Trump invoked the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act to expedite their removal, leading to a high-profile legal battle that eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court.