Federal Revenue agents are accused of carrying out operations using military weapons and camouflage clothing at the airport, practices considered risky
O investigate whether agents of are invading the exclusive competence of the no the largest in Brazil. The agency carried out operations using military weapons and camouflage clothing, practices considered a risk for investigations and air traffic safety.
The information was published by journalists José Marques and Raquel Lopes, from and confirmed by Poder360 this Friday (June 12). The MPF sent a request for action to the Ministries of Finance, Justice and signed by 7 attorneys, at the end of May 2026.
Public Prosecutor Athayde Ribeiro Costa Göpfert met on Wednesday (June 10, 2026) with representatives from the PF, the Revenue and the concessionaire Airport.
The document states, according to the report, that Revenue agents act “primarily and directly in the prevention and repression of illicit trafficking in narcotics and similar drugs, the responsibility of the Federal Police”.
O MPF also reports cases in which the Tax Authorities find drugs in shipments and do not contact the Federal Police immediately. The delay compromises investigations into trafficking. The document states that the procedures that guarantee the preservation of evidence of a crime are not followed.
The investigation is being carried out in secret. No new details are expected to be released regarding the progress of the investigations.
The PF told the Poder360 who will not comment on the case.
OTHER SIDE
In a note sent to this digital newspaper, the Federal Revenue Service said it has constitutional competence to monitor foreign trade at ports, airports and borders. The agency declares that, although it does not carry out criminal investigations —the responsibility of the Federal Police—, identifying and preventing international drug trafficking is part of its mission. “customs mission and does not constitute usurpation of police powers”.
To this end, it defends the legitimate use of sniffer dogs, scanners and drug tests: “These means are used to locate illicit goods, identify suspicious cargo, protect the international logistics chain and support the adoption of appropriate administrative and criminal measures.”
Read the full note from the IRS:
“The Federal Constitution establishes, in its article 237, that the supervision and control over foreign trade, essential to the defense of national financial interests, are exercised by the Ministry of Finance, through the Federal Revenue. It also ensures, in article 37, XVIII, the precedence of the financial administration in its area of competence. Furthermore, article 144, § 1, II, when dealing with the duties of the Federal Police in the prevention and repression of illicit trafficking in narcotics, smuggling and embezzlement, expressly excludes the activities of the treasury and that of other public bodies in their respective areas of competence.
“The Federal Revenue does not exercise judicial police, does not conduct police investigations and does not replace the Federal Police in drawing up arrest notices in the act or in presiding over a criminal investigation. However, within the scope of its customs duties, the Federal Revenue must carry out inspection, surveillance, risk analysis, monitoring, inspections, approaches, retentions, administrative seizures and other acts necessary for customs control of cargo, baggage, shipments, vehicles, passengers and areas under customs control.
“This action can, naturally, identify or prevent international drug trafficking, since criminal organizations frequently use foreign trade flows, cargo, baggage, postal shipments, express shipments, passengers, aircraft, customs areas and logistical vulnerabilities of ports, airports and border points to introduce, remove or move narcotics. In these cases, the Federal Revenue’s actions arise directly from its customs mission and do not constitute usurpation of police powers.
“The Federal Revenue also clarifies that the use of scent dogs, non-invasive inspection equipment, preliminary substance identification tests (narcotests), risk analysis and customs surveillance techniques are part of the set of ordinary customs inspection and repression instruments. These means are used to locate illicit goods, identify suspicious cargo, protect the international logistics chain and support the adoption of appropriate administrative and criminal measures. These are methods adopted by all customs offices in other countries that we have These detection instruments also serve to rule out suspicions in legitimate cargo and avoid delays in the logistics of cargo or passenger travel. The Federal Revenue, by not examining suspicious loads and calling the Police, would leave numerous loads and passengers waiting for the police, missing shipments and flights, and the police response to the Federal Revenue Service is often delayed. criminal offense in these cases – these rates are lower than incidents of nullity due to instruction by the police themselves.
“Regarding the chain of custody, the Federal Revenue Service observes procedures aimed at preserving the material elements found in its inspections, with registration, packaging, storage and communication to the competent authorities, depending on the nature of the occurrence. Any discrepancies between weighings, preliminary records or subsequent assessments must be technically examined on a case-by-case basis, without it being possible to assume functional irregularity based on generic allegations or those not submitted to due institutional contradiction.
“The Federal Revenue informs that its customs surveillance and repression teams operate in ports, airports, border points and other customs areas in the regular exercise of the constitutional and legal powers attributed to the Customs Administration, especially in the control of foreign trade and the repression of smuggling, embezzlement and other transnational illicit acts.
“The actions carried out at airports, including in sensitive or restricted areas, are planned and executed by employees in institutional activity, in compliance with operational protocols, airport security standards, accreditation rules and the competencies of the other public bodies involved.
“This action is supported, among other provisions, in art. 237 and in art. 37, XVIII, of the Federal Constitution; in art. 144, § 1º, II; in Decree-Law nº 37 of 1966; in the Customs Regulation; and in article 4, sole paragraph, of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
“Regarding the carrying of weapons, Tax Auditors and Tax Analysts have specific legal provisions, in accordance with article 6,
“It should be noted that the server was involved in surveillance and customs repression activities in the primary zone, in the context of checking the perimeter vulnerabilities of the customs area — notably in the areas of physical segregation between the runway and the external environment —, carrying institutional weapons of higher caliber as functional protective equipment, in accordance with the applicable legislation and doctrine and the operational security protocols adopted for inspection in sensitive areas.
“With regard to the measures adopted within the scope of the investigative procedures, it is important to clarify that the action that resulted in the retention of institutional weapons was subsequently reviewed by the Judiciary, with the competent magistrate determining the return of the weapons to the qualified employees, recognizing, at that procedural moment, the lack of concrete elements that justified the maintenance of the restrictive measure. This decision reinforces the institutional nature of the equipment and its link to the legal duties of surveillance and customs repression exercised by the Federal Revenue Service.
“The Federal Revenue informs that, during the meeting held at the unit, the Prosecutor had access to all the requested information, and was provided with all the necessary clarifications to form his conviction.
“It should also be noted that any flagrant illegalities, if they had been identified during the Prosecutor’s visit, would give rise to the immediate adoption of measures, which has not occurred to date.
“The Federal Revenue reinforces its confidence in inter-institutional, cooperative work essential to the protection and security of society, and remains at the disposal of the competent authorities for the continuous alignment and improvement of joint actions at the Guarulhos International Airport Customs, as well as in all its other units.”
