BRASÍLIA, Brazil — October 5, 2026 — Brazil’s Federal Police has opened a preliminary investigation into allegations of possible foreign interference in the country’s 2026 elections, including allegations involving the United States, Federal Police Director-General Andrei Rodrigues said.
Rodrigues confirmed that the Federal Police is examining information submitted by Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office (AGU) concerning possible external interference in Brazilian political and electoral affairs. The case has been assigned for analysis by the Federal Police’s intelligence division.
The investigation follows reports about an alleged US$1 million U.S. government-funded program connected to Brazil and described as addressing alleged “lawfare” and censorship involving Brazilian institutions, including the Supreme Federal Court (STF).
The AGU asked Brazilian authorities to investigate whether the reported funding could constitute inappropriate foreign interference in Brazil’s domestic affairs or electoral process.
Rodrigues emphasized that the Federal Police is currently conducting a preliminary assessment and that the existence of the investigation should not be interpreted as proof that the United States interfered in Brazil’s election.
The Federal Police is examining the information received and determining whether there are sufficient grounds for further investigative measures. The distinction is significant: the investigation seeks to establish whether wrongdoing occurred; it does not establish that foreign interference actually took place.
The allegations gained prominence following reports by The Guardian concerning U.S. government funding for initiatives related to Brazil. According to the reports cited by Brazilian authorities, approximately US$1 million was allocated to a project identified as Countering Lawfare and Censorship in Brazil.
The issue subsequently attracted the attention of Brazilian authorities, with the AGU asking the Federal Police and other institutions to examine whether the funding could have been used in a manner incompatible with Brazilian law or national sovereignty.
At this stage, however, publicly available information does not establish that the funding was used to manipulate voting, influence voters directly or alter the election result.
The investigation comes alongside a separate position from Brazil’s electoral authorities. The president of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Justice Kássio Nunes Marques, said that the electoral authority had not identified concrete evidence of foreign interference affecting the first round of voting.
According to the TSE, there was no identified international intervention capable of compromising the integrity of the electoral process.
Despite the allegations, Brazilian authorities said the first round of the 2026 presidential election proceeded under the normal security and electoral arrangements. The Federal Police also reported investigations into electoral crimes during the voting period, including alleged vote buying and irregular electoral campaigning.
The Federal Police’s intelligence division is expected to examine the information supplied by the AGU and determine whether additional investigative measures are warranted. If investigators find sufficient evidence of a crime, the case could progress to a formal police inquiry and potentially lead to further investigations, including the identification of individuals, organizations or financial transactions allegedly involved.
For now, however, the allegations remain under investigation.
The confirmation by Andrei Rodrigues means that Brazilian federal authorities are officially examining claims of possible foreign interference, including allegations linked to U.S. funding. It does not, at this stage, constitute a finding that the United States interfered in Brazil’s 2026 election.
