Lula Government’s Response Affected Two U.S. Officers; Federal Police Backed Down in One Case

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government took action against two U.S. Immigration officers in response to the expulsion of a Brazilian federal police attache from the United States, according to a report by Estadão published on April 25, 2026.

The reaction by the Lula administration resulted in the revocation of credentials for two U.S. Officials, though in one case the Brazilian Federal Police (PF) later reversed its decision and allowed the officer to remain, the report stated.

This move follows heightened diplomatic tensions between Brazil and the United States after the U.S. Government announced the expulsion of Marcelo Ivo de Carvalho, the Brazilian federal police attache in Miami and the country’s liaison officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The expulsion was linked to Carvalho’s alleged involvement in the arrest of former Brazilian federal lawmaker Alexandre Ramagem by U.S. Immigration authorities.

Ramagem, who had fled Brazil in September 2025 following his conviction for plotting a coup with former President Jair Bolsonaro, was detained briefly by U.S. Immigration police before being released. The U.S. Embassy in Brasilia confirmed to Reuters that Carvalho was the official referenced in the expulsion notice, although the initial announcement on X did not name him.

Speaking to reporters in Hannover, Germany, on April 21, 2026, President Lula da Silva said he did not know the specifics of the incident but emphasized that Brazil would respond if there was an abuse of authority by U.S. Officials against Brazilian personnel.

We cannot accept this interference and abuse of authority that some Americans want to exert over Brazil.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

Lula added that Brazil would reciprocate in kind if U.S. Actions were deemed unjust, framing the government’s response as a measure to defend national sovereignty and resist foreign interference.

The Estadão report did not specify the identities or agencies of the two U.S. Immigration officers affected by Brazil’s countermeasure, nor did it detail the exact nature of the actions taken against them beyond the revocation of credentials. It also did not explain the reasons behind the PF’s reversal in one of the two cases.

As of the report’s publication, neither the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia nor Brazilian federal authorities had issued further public statements clarifying the status of the officers or the diplomatic exchange.