After coming out as one of the harshest critics of the United States National Security Agency’s spying revelations, reports have surfaced that Brazil was actively carrying out counter-intelligence activities against the U.S. and others.

Brazil’s justice minister said that his spies were acting in a lawful manner when they followed around diplomats from the U.S., Russia and other nations while they were engaging in daily activities.

Jose Eduardo Cardoso took great pains to say the situations in his nation and the actions taken by the NSA were not the same.

“I see completely different situations. What happened in relation to Brazil and other countries was a violation. Emails and phone calls were violated, which is an affront to Brazilian sovereignty,” Cardoso told a press conference.

The U.S. State Department said the discovery reported in Brazil’s Folha de S. Paulo newspaper proves what they’ve been saying all along regarding all nations conducting spy activity on diplomats of other nations.