Brasília, 4/14/2004 (Agência Brasil) - The president of the Brazilian Federal Police Federation (Federação Nacional de Policiais Federais) (Fenapef), Francisco Garisto, in testimony at a Chamber of Deputies commission on public security, declared that "Brazilian Federal Police receive money from the United States government, specifically the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and other US institutions, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)", thus confirming information by the former head of the FBI office in Brazil, Carlos Alberto Costa, which was published in the March 24th issue of the newsmagazine, "Carta Capital."

According to Garisto, the Federal Police receive US$10 million annually, half of that from the DEA. He explained that the money is deposited in personal accounts and the dollars are often changed on the black market.

Garisto also reported that on January 7, 2003, shortly after the Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva government took office, the matter was brought to the attention of the new minister of Justice, Marcio Thomaz Bastos, who ordered an investigation (sindicância). However, said Garisto, up to now nothing has changed.

The counterpart demanded by the US government is that the money be used to combat drug routes to the US. "The money is a curse. It causes discord in the Federal Police," concluded Garisto.

Translator: Allen Bennett