A diplomatic dispute between the United States and Brazil is undermining their longstanding collaboration on combating organized crime, officials from both countries say. The conflict centers on the U.S. State Department’s decision to withhold visas for two Brazilian federal police agents who were scheduled to work with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, in Miami and New York. In retaliation, Brazil has blocked the visa of a U.S. law enforcement official assigned to operate in the country.
The visa restrictions have interrupted routine personnel exchanges that have been a key component of joint efforts against transnational crime, such as drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, and arms smuggling. The Brazilian agents’ deployments, planned for last month, were approved early in the year by authorities on both sides before the visas were denied. One of the Brazilian agents was intended to replace Marcelo Ivo de Carvalho, who was expelled from the United States in April amid accusations linked to political tensions.
The strained relations between the two countries have deepened over the past year, fueled in part by the Trump administration’s perceived interference in Brazil’s internal politics and its apparent support for right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro in the upcoming presidential election. Experts describe the deterioration as entangling security cooperation with political considerations, an assessment echoed by Edvard Felix de Paiva, president of Brazil’s federal police commissioners association, who emphasized the growing need for cross-border collaboration in combating criminal networks.
Despite these diplomatic frictions, technical cooperation on intelligence sharing between customs and law enforcement agencies continues. Brazilian and U.S. customs officials have been exchanging alerts about suspicious cargo shipments, which has improved interception of illegal weaponry and contraband. However, officials acknowledge that disrupted high-level coordination may hinder broader, more ambitious initiatives.
Brazil serves as a major transit route for cocaine destined for Europe, Africa, and other regions, with its criminal gangs increasingly collaborating with counterparts in Mexico and Colombia. These groups also exploit the U.S. banking system to launder illicit profits and obtain arms through smuggling networks originating in American states with less restrictive gun laws. Brazilian authorities recently arrested individuals linked to weapons parts shipments from Florida.
Efforts to strengthen collaboration have faced setbacks. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has repeatedly proposed enhanced joint action against drug trafficking and related crimes during communications with the Trump administration, including a formal proposal presented during a White House meeting in May. According to Brazilian officials, this proposal received no response. Conversely, the U.S. designated Brazil’s largest drug gangs as terrorist organizations that same month, following lobbying by Bolsonaro and his allies, a move that has complicated ongoing investigations by inadvertently alerting suspects.
The diplomatic rift extends beyond specific cases to broader regional security initiatives. The United States has formed the Shield of the Americas security alliance with several Latin American countries to combat drug trafficking, but Brazil is notably excluded. It was also absent from a recent U.S.-led security meeting at the United Nations for Latin America and the Caribbean officials.
U.S. officials declined to comment on visa decisions, stating that national security and public safety remain paramount. Brazilian authorities similarly withheld comment, affirming their intention to maintain dialogue to address transnational crime. Analysts warn that the current use of visa restrictions as leverage risks alienating Brazil, potentially undermining shared security objectives.
“We want to have Brazil closer to the United States — not further away,” said Jimmy Story, a former U.S. ambassador. He cautioned that diplomatic tensions could hamper critical joint efforts against organized crime across the Americas.