U.S. Revokes Visas of Brazilian Supreme Court Justices Amid Escalating Tensions Over Bolsonaro Prosecution

In a sharp escalation of diplomatic tensions between the United States and Brazil, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced late Friday that the U.S. government has revoked the visas of Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, several of his judicial colleagues, and their immediate family members.

Rubio, who is also serving as National Security Adviser to President Donald Trump, cited what he described as a broad campaign of political retaliation in Brazil targeting former President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies. The move, he said, was a direct response to what he called an “unprecedented attack on political expression and fundamental liberties.”

“President Trump has made it clear that this administration will stand up against foreign nationals who suppress free speech—especially when that suppression affects Americans,” Rubio wrote on X. “Justice Moraes’s campaign against Bolsonaro has reached beyond Brazil’s borders, extending its chilling effects to the United States. That is unacceptable.”

Rubio stated that the visa revocations were immediate and would apply to Moraes and his judicial allies as well as their spouses and children.

The U.S. decision came just hours after Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court issued sweeping legal restrictions against Bolsonaro, including banning him from using social media and placing an electronic ankle monitor on the former president. Police also conducted a raid on Bolsonaro’s home as part of an ongoing investigation into his alleged efforts to contest the results of Brazil’s 2022 presidential election, which he lost to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Justice Moraes, who authored the court’s ruling, argued that Bolsonaro posed a flight risk and could attempt to undermine Brazil’s democratic institutions by reaching out to foreign allies. Bolsonaro has denied these claims and maintains that the charges are politically driven.

Speaking to Reuters, Bolsonaro expressed frustration and disbelief at his legal situation. “I feel deeply humiliated,” he said. “I am 70 years old. I served my country as president. Now I’m being treated like a criminal.”

Bolsonaro was formally charged earlier this year over an alleged attempt to overturn the election results and remain in power through extra-constitutional means. The indictment also implicated several of his close political associates. Brazil’s electoral court has since barred Bolsonaro from holding public office until 2030.

In response to the developments, President Trump earlier this week warned that the United States might impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports unless the Lula government ceased its legal campaign against Bolsonaro. The threat of economic retaliation underscored the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive posture toward governments it views as hostile to populist political figures.

Meanwhile, in a separate but equally high-profile development, Venezuela on Friday released 10 American citizens and permanent residents who had been imprisoned under the government of President Nicolás Maduro. The release was part of a three-way diplomatic agreement involving the United States, Venezuela, and El Salvador.

The deal also included the repatriation of more than 250 Venezuelan migrants who had previously been detained in El Salvador under controversial immigration enforcement efforts backed by the Trump administration. These detainees had been held in the country’s massive high-security facility, known as the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).

Secretary Rubio praised the agreement, calling it a major success for President Trump’s foreign policy. “Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now home,” Rubio said in a statement. “This deal reflects the value of strong alliances. I want to thank President Bukele for his leadership and cooperation.”

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who played a key role in negotiating the arrangement, confirmed that all Venezuelan nationals in his country’s custody had been turned over as part of the deal. He credited the success of the initiative to “mutual trust and shared priorities” with the Trump administration.

For Venezuela, the deal represents a diplomatic victory. President Maduro hailed the prisoner exchange as a triumph. “Today is a day of blessings and good news,” he said. “This is a perfect day for Venezuela.”

The U.S. had previously paid El Salvador $6 million as part of a temporary detention arrangement for the migrants, many of whom had been accused of having ties to the notorious Tren de Aragua gang. That policy drew sharp criticism when President Trump invoked the rarely used 18th-century Alien Enemies Act to expedite the migrants’ removal. The resulting legal challenges eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court, drawing national attention.

As diplomatic and legal battles continue to unfold across the Western Hemisphere, the Trump administration appears intent on projecting a hardline stance against what it calls foreign political repression—while navigating complex prisoner swaps and immigration enforcement deals behind the scenes.