Brazil’s Federal Police target Senator Jaques Wagner and banker Augusto Lima in Compliance Zero’s 9th phase

Brazil’s Federal Police opened the 9th phase of Operation Compliance Zero on Thursday (18), with 18 search-and-seizure warrants across the Federal District, São Paulo, and Bahia. For payment and banking people, the relevant bit is simple: the investigation is still circling institutions and figures tied to alleged financial misconduct, and that usually means more pressure on counterparties, compliance teams, and any payment flow touching the wrong names.

1. The Federal Police say the operation is investigating alleged participation by public officials in irregularities involving financial institutions. Compliance Zero is described as a probe into a supposed billion-dollar scheme involving fraud, corruption, money laundering, and obstruction of justice linked to Banco Master.
2. Among the targets in this phase are Senator Jaques Wagner (PT-BA), the government leader in Congress, and banker Augusto Ferreira Lima, owner of Banco Pleno.
3. Police are executing 18 search-and-seizure warrants issued by Justice Minister André Mendonça, who is the rapporteur in the case at Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF). The searches are taking place at addresses linked to the targets in the Federal District, São Paulo, and Bahia.
4. Federal agents are also enforcing precautionary measures, including a ban on contact between the investigated parties, suspension of passports, and electronic monitoring.
5. The conduct under investigation could amount to passive corruption, active corruption, and money laundering. The report was still being updated at the time of publication.