São Paulo raids: Brazil police probe suspected plot against US diplomatic facilities before election

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On October 3, Brazil's federal police said they executed preventive search and seizure warrants in São Paulo and the Federal District, the administrative region around the capital Brasília, as part of an investigation into suspected plans that could threaten US diplomatic facilities. Police said the operation followed cooperation with foreign intelligence agencies, but that investigators had so far found no evidence corroborating the initially reported threat and had not identified any suspects linked to criminal organisations. Communications equipment was seized and the investigation is continuing.

On Friday, the US embassy in Brazil suspended in-person consular services, citing security concerns but giving no further detail. Facilities affected include the embassy in Brasília and consulates in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre and Recife; visa processing and issuance have also been halted. The US State Department said it is working closely with Brazilian counterparts on the security concerns.

Australia also closed its embassy in Brasília on Friday. Australia's ambassador to Brazil, Sophie Davies, said the closure followed the US alert and advised Australians to avoid US diplomatic facilities.

The closures come two days before Sunday's presidential election, pitting incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. If neither candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held on October 25. Edinho Silva, president of Lula's Workers' Party, called the closures "unprecedented".