SAO PAULO, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian federal police carried out searches in Sao Paulo and near Brasilia on Friday as part of an investigation into a suspected plot targeting U.S. diplomatic facilities in the country.
The two searches targeted two suspects and were authorized by a lower-court judge in the Federal District, according to local media reports.
Officers seized computers and cellphones for forensic examination. Police said they had so far found no evidence corroborating the reported risks, nor had they identified any links between the suspects and criminal organizations.
Police described the searches as a preventive measure in a confidential investigation conducted in cooperation with foreign intelligence agencies.
The operation came after the United States announced that consular services at its embassy in Brasilia and consulates across Brazil would be suspended starting Friday because of security concerns. U.S. authorities did not specify the nature of those concerns.
Australia's embassy in Brasilia also closed Friday over security concerns, following the U.S. announcement. ■
