Federal police officers carried out searches on Thursday (25/01) at addresses linked to those suspected of participating in a scheme by the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) to illegally monitor public authorities and ordinary citizens, including governors and members of the Federal Supreme Court. The crime, according to investigations, involved the use of geolocation tools on mobile devices (cell phones and tablets, for example) without judicial authorization and the knowledge of the person being monitored.
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Who is Being Investigated
Police main suspects are the head of the body during the Jair Bolsonaro government and current federal deputy, Alexandre Ramagem (PL-RJ). According to sources, Abin had invested in the illegal monitoring of ministers Gilmar Mendes and Alexandre de Moraes, the former president of the Chamber Rodrigo Maia, and the former governor Camilo Santana, of Ceará, now Lula’s Minister of Education, among others.
The names of the targets were not fully disclosed. According to the PF, in addition to the searches, there are other measures alternative to the arrest being carried out, including the immediate suspension of seven federal police officers allegedly involved in illegal monitoring.
Close Surveillance
The operation was called “Close Surveillance” and is an offshoot of the “First Mile” operation, which began in October 2023 to investigate the alleged criminal use of the “FirstMile” tool.
The suspicion is that geolocation tools were used on mobile devices (cell phones and tablets, for example) without judicial authorization and the knowledge of the monitored person.
New Operation
The Federal Police launched a new operation on Monday (29/01) related to the alleged illegal use of Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) systems during the Bolsonaro government. One of the targets of the operation is the second son of the former president and councilor of Rio de Janeiro, Carlos Bolsonaro (Republicanos-RJ). The suspicion is that Carlos Bolsonaro’s advisors, who are also targets of the operation, would have received materials obtained illegally by Abin.
