Brazil Federal Police delays investigation of President Lula's son until after 2026 election

The Federal Police (PF) informed Brazil's Supreme Court that the probe into President Luiz Inácio Lula’s son will not advance before the 2026 elections. The postponement stems from the slow analysis of seized material in Operation Sem Desconto, which targets pension fraud at the INSS. More than 400 search warrants were executed, yet investigators have reviewed less than 38% of the roughly 1,700 items, each requiring about six days of work. With the current team, completing the review would take over a year. In the next two months the PF will focus on detained suspects, and it expects to finish work on those under precautionary measures within six months, after which data concerning other subjects, including the president’s son, will be examined. The change in operational coordination in May and the removal of the delegate who requested bank‑seal breaking were cited as factors slowing progress.