Timeline of the crisis between André Mendonça and Brazil’s Federal Police

The conflict between Supreme Court Justice André Mendonça and Brazil’s Federal Police has escalated into a dispute over the court’s control of major investigations. Mendonça ordered the removal of Federal Police Director-General Andrei Rodrigues on Tuesday, and the Supreme Court’s Second Panel formed a majority to keep Rodrigues out of the post. The hearing was then suspended after Justice Gilmar Mendes requested more time to examine the case.

Mendonça had already shown dissatisfaction with the way the police were handling several investigations. In June, he ordered the Federal Police to complete within 60 days an assessment of material seized from people arrested or targeted by restrictions in Operation Sem Desconto, which investigates alleged fraud involving the National Social Security Institute.

The Federal Police said it lacked staff and requested more time. The agency said 11 officers were working on the case, although more than 40 were needed. The review also covered a possible lifting of the bank, tax and electronic secrecy of Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, known as Lulinha, the son of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Mendonça had authorized that measure in February.

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Directing a plea bargain to target predetermined political figures not only taints the voluntariness of the proposed agreement, but completely discredits any product resulting from the alleged cooperation.

Mendonça’s role as rapporteur in the Master case also drew criticism from colleagues. Gilmar Mendes accused him of improperly intervening in plea-bargaining negotiations involving Daniel Vorcaro, in agreements rejected by both the Federal Police and the Federal Prosecutor’s Office. Mendes said, “Directing a plea bargain to target predetermined political figures not only taints the voluntariness of the proposed agreement, but completely discredits any product resulting from the alleged cooperation.” He compared Mendonça’s conduct with the Lava Jato operation, which faced questions about the actions of the authorities involved.

The dispute intensified after Mendonça lifted the confidentiality of a Federal Police report concerning messages between Vorcaro and a person identified as Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The messages indicated that the banker had asked Moraes whether he should leave the country two days before his arrest on Nov. 17, 2025. They also said Moraes edited a 131 million reais contract involving Banco Master and his wife’s law firm, and that the two had met at least six times since 2024. Attorney General Paulo Gonet later sought to annul the report, accusing Mendonça of using the police to impose an investigation into Moraes. Moraes then asked for an investigation into Mendonça.

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used the police