Operation Car Wash could become even more devastating

Four years ago, the Federal Police launched an operation to bust a scheme that used a gas station as a front for money laundering. The marshals narrowed their investigation down to Alberto Yousseff, a well-known money launderer with previous convictions and a close relationship with major political parties.

At the time, it sounded like yet another small bust – that is, until it was discovered that Yousseff had paid for a Land Rover for an executive at Petrobras, Brazil’s state-owned oil and gas company. That was the initial thread that led prosecutors to a vast corruption scheme involving dozens of high-profile politicians and the richest businessmen in the land.

Over 140 convictions have been announced – targets include former President Lula – and one-third of Congress has been placed under investigation. For the first time in history, Brazilians saw billionaires in handcuffs.

Of course, that was in great part due to the early collaboration of...