Police organisation
Polícia Federal
The judicial police of the Union in Brazil, exercising that function exclusively, together with maritime, airport and border policing.
At a glance
- Official name
- Polícia Federal (PF)
- System
- Brazil
- Level of government
- Federal
- Kind of body
- Federal police force
- Status
- Currently operating
- Official website
- https://www.gov.br/pf/pt-br — confirmed against the organisation’s own pages on 25 July 2026.
- Facts last checked against sources
- 13 September 2026
What it is
The Polícia Federal exercises "com exclusividade, as funções de polícia judiciária da União", carries out "polícia marítima, aeroportuária e de fronteiras", and works to suppress illicit drug trafficking, contraband and customs evasion — reproducing Article 144 paragraph 1 of the Constitution. Brazil’s state forces are separately constituted under the same article, and nothing about the PF establishes anything about them.
What it covers
Federal: the Union’s judicial-police function, borders, ports and airports. Not the state forces.
Broad responsibilities
- The judicial-police function of the Union, exercised exclusively
- Maritime, airport and border policing
- Suppression of illicit drug trafficking, contraband and customs evasion
Elsewhere on this site
- Who polices what — how Brazil is structured, against other systems
Other organisations to compare
- Polícia Rodoviária Federal — Brazil
Where this connects
Institutions: National police.
Sources
Competências da Polícia Federal
Polícia Federal — gov.br (Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública) · Institutional (self-description) · link verified 2026-07-25
The Polícia Federal's own page, read in full. Supports that the PF is a Union body that exercises, 'com exclusividade, as funções de polícia judiciária da União', carries out 'polícia marítima, aeroportuária e de fronteiras', and works to 'reprimir o tráfico ilícito de entorpecentes e drogas afins, o contrabando e o descaminho' — reproducing Art. 144 §1. Establishes the PF's federal remit (federal crimes, borders, drugs); does not cover the state forces.