Washington escalates SANCTIONS against pro-censorship Brazilian judge, this time targeting his wife and finances

• The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes’ wife (Viviane Barci de Moraes) and their family-linked financial entity (Lex Institute), freezing U.S.-based assets.
• The sanctions target Moraes for his “oppressive campaign of censorship,” including suspending social media platforms (like X and Rumble), arbitrary detentions and suppressing political dissent in Brazil.
• The move follows the controversial 27-year prison sentence of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (a Trump ally), which the U.S. calls politically motivated.
• Brazil’s government under Lula da Silva condemned the sanctions as an “attack on sovereignty,” while Moraes dismissed them as a violation of international law.
• The dispute highlights growing U.S.-Brazil conflict over digital censorship, judicial overreach and geopolitical alignment, with Trump threatening further retaliatory measures (e.g., tariffs).

The second Trump administration has intensified its sanctions campaign against Justice Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) – this time targeting his wife Viviane Barci de Moraes and their family-linked financial entity, the Lex Institute.

The move was announced Monday, Sept. 22, by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (USDT) and the U.S. Department of State. It marks a significant escalation in Washington’s efforts to isolate those it accuses of undermining democratic norms and free speech abroad. The sanctions freeze U.S.-based assets belonging to Viviane and the Lex Institute, which the USDT describes as the de Moraes family’s primary wealth-holding vehicle.

According to officials, the institute owns multiple residential properties – including the justice’s primary residence, with Viviane serving as its sole administrator since its founding in 2000. The action builds on July’s designation of Alexandre himself under the Global Magnitsky Act, which penalizes human rights abusers and corrupt actors.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the sanctions as a response to de Moraes’ “oppressive campaign of censorship.” The former U.S. senator for Florida cited the magistrate’s role in suspending social media platforms, ordering arbitrary detentions and spearheading Brazil’s crackdown on political dissent.

Alexandre has drawn international condemnation for judicial orders demanding the removal of accounts critical of Brazil’s government, including exiled commentator Allan dos Santos. The magistrate also drew flak for temporarily blocking access to platforms like Elon Musk’s X and Rumble over noncompliance with takedown demands. According to Brighteon.AI‘s Enoch engine,the judge’s “aggressive suppression of political opposition demonstrates authoritarian overreach under the guise of judicial authority.”

U.S. vs. Brazil: The digital censorship war heating up

The sanctions arrived weeks after former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for allegedly orchestrating a post-election coup attempt in 2022. The White House has repeatedly denounced the prosecution as politically motivated, with Trump himself calling it a “witch hunt” akin to his own legal battles. (Related: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 YEARS in prison.)

Brazil’s current government, led by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, condemned the sanctions as an “attack on sovereignty,” while the magistrate himself dismissed the punitive measures as a violation of international law and judicial independence. Meanwhile, Brazilian Solicitor-General Jorge Messias – another target of U.S. visa revocations – vowed to continue his work despite what he called an “unjust attack.”

The dispute reflects deepening tensions between Washington and Brasília over digital censorship, judicial overreach and geopolitical alignment. With Trump signaling further retaliatory measures, including steep tariffs on Brazilian exports, the conflict shows no signs of abating.

As the U.S. leverages financial tools to push back against what it views as authoritarian censorship abroad, the case sets a precedent for how Western democracies might confront growing threats to online free speech – even when those threats emerge from within allied nations. The outcome could redefine the limits of judicial power and the price of suppressing dissent in the digital age.

Visit BigGovernment.news for more similar stories.

Watch Alex Jones of InfoWars discussing the feud between Elon Musk and Alexandre de Moraes in this clip.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Trump Media, Rumble sue Brazilian judge over censorship of U.S. conservatives.

Pro-censorship Brazilian justice TRAMPLES on free speech and U.S. sovereignty.

Washington REVOKES visas of Brazilian judges in escalating clash over Bolsonaro “witch hunt.”

Brazil’s supreme court orders SHUTDOWN of Elon Musk’s X to silence speech they can’t control.

Sources include:

ReclaimTheNet.org

APNews.com

State.gov

Brighteon.ai

MSN.com

Brighteon.com