Listening devices found in Rio de Janeiro governor's office

Brazil's Institutional Security Office (GSI) discovered disabled listening devices during a routine inspection of a strategic room in the Palácio Guanabara, the seat of the Rio de Janeiro state government. The equipment was removed for forensic analysis, and preliminary assessments suggest the devices may be old, though authorities have not confirmed when they were installed or whether they were ever used for surveillance.

The devices were found in the office used by interim governor Ricardo Couto, a judge who assumed the governorship in March 2026 after the resignation of Cláudio Castro. Couto continues to work primarily from the Tribunal de Justiça, while using the palace for institutional meetings. The investigation now focuses on identifying the origin of the eavesdropping equipment and the purpose of its placement within the governor's premises.