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The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Brazilian Federal Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, who has been the subject of criticism from President Donald Trump for his handling of legal cases involving former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
Shortly after these sanctions were announced, Trump imposed a 50% tariff on imports from Brazil, with a statement from the White House referring to de Moraes.
"President Trump is protecting American companies from extortion, protecting American individuals from political persecution, defending American freedom of speech from censorship, and saving the American economy from being subjected to the arbitrary decrees of a tyrannical foreign judge," the statement said.
The sanctions come five months after Trump's social media company, Trump Media, sued de Moraes over a judge's order to video hosting company Rumble to suspend the accounts of a "known politically outspoken user" of Rumble, whose services Trump Media uses.
Trump previously said the 50% tariffs on imports from Brazil are partly in retaliation for the ongoing prosecution of Bolsonaro, an ally of his.
Last year, De Moraes incurred the wrath of mega-billionaire Elon Musk, who at the time was a close Trump ally, by blocking Musk's social media platform X across Brazil for failing to comply with orders banning certain user accounts and removing certain content.
"Alexandre de Moraes has taken on the role of judge and jury in an illegal witch hunt against American and Brazilian citizens and companies," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement Wednesday announcing the sanctions, which will block any property de Moraes may have in the United States.
"De Moraes is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicized criminal prosecutions, including against former President Jair Bolsonaro," Bessent said.
He added that "today's action makes clear that Treasury will continue to hold accountable those who threaten U.S. interests and the freedoms of our citizens."
In a tweet, Secretary Rubio wrote: "The U.S. government has imposed sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program for serious human rights violations. Let this be a warning to those who violate the fundamental rights of their fellow citizens – the judicial mantle cannot protect them."
The Washington Post reported on July 17 that Eduardo Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro’s son, was “working closely with the White House to impose sanctions on” de Moraes. Eduardo Bolsonaro is a federal congressman in Brazil.
De Moraes is the so-called rapporteur of the cases against Jair Bolsonaro and a member of a panel of five Supreme Court judges overseeing the former president's trial on suspicion of trying to organize a coup against incumbent Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and other charges.
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