Operation Car Wash

Operation Car Wash was a Brazilian corruption investigation launched in 2014 that uncovered bribery and money laundering involving Petrobras, construction companies, and politicians.

Petrobras: Brazil’s state-controlled oil company, founded in 1953 and headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. Investigators found that contractors paid kickbacks to executives in exchange for inflated Petrobras contracts.
Alberto Youssef: A Brazilian black-market currency dealer who became a central cooperating witness in Operation Car Wash. A money-laundering inquiry involving his network led investigators toward Petrobras-related payments.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva: A Brazilian politician who served as president from 2003 to 2010 and again from 2023 onward. His 2017 conviction in a Car Wash case was annulled by Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court in 2021.
Mensalão scandal: A Brazilian vote-buying scandal exposed in 2005 involving payments to allied legislators during Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s first presidency. It was an earlier major corruption case, with a distinct scheme and trial preceding Car Wash.
Odebrecht: A Brazilian construction conglomerate that became one of the world’s largest engineering companies. Its executives described a systematic bribery operation tied to public contracts across multiple countries.
Sergio Moro: A Brazilian judge who presided over many Operation Car Wash cases in Curitiba. His rulings shaped the early investigation and became central to later disputes over judicial impartiality.
Dilma Rousseff: A Brazilian politician who served as president from 2011 until her impeachment in 2016. The investigation unfolded during her presidency and intensified the political crisis surrounding her removal.
Operation Zelotes: A Brazilian federal investigation, launched in 2015, into alleged bribery involving tax appeals and corporate tax debts. It pursued a separate corruption network, showing that Car Wash was not Brazil’s only major probe.
Paulo Roberto Costa: A Brazilian engineer who served as Petrobras refining director from 2004 to 2012. His plea bargain in 2014 helped investigators expose the alleged Petrobras kickback network.
Federal Police of Brazil: Brazil’s national law-enforcement agency, responsible for federal investigations and border policing. Its investigators carried out searches, arrests, and evidence-gathering in the operation.

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