SouthernWorldwide.com – The Trump administration has intensified its efforts against major drug cartels in Brazil by designating two of the country’s largest criminal organizations as foreign terrorist groups.
These two syndicates, the First Command of the Capital (PCC) and Red Command (CV), collectively boast an estimated membership exceeding 50,000 individuals, according to reports from The Associated Press.
The U.S. Department of State announced its intention to designate Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) and subsequently as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), with the designation taking effect on June 5, 2026.
The State Department’s statement highlighted that CV and PCC are among Brazil’s most violent criminal entities. They are responsible for a significant number of members and have been implicated in brutal assaults targeting Brazilian law enforcement, public officials, and ordinary citizens. The influence of these organizations is not confined to Brazil, as their illicit networks extend across the region and even reach into the United States.
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The administration reiterated its commitment to employing all available resources to safeguard the nation and its security interests. This includes preventing illicit drugs from entering American streets and cutting off the financial resources that fuel violent narco-terrorist activities.
The department emphasized that this latest action by the State Department underscores the Trump Administration’s steadfast resolve to dismantle cartels and criminal organizations operating in the region, thereby ensuring the safety of the American populace.
This new designation follows a meeting between conservative Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro and President Donald Trump in Washington. During their discussion, Senator Bolsonaro urged the administration to formally label these gangs as terrorist entities.
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He conveyed to reporters in Washington that his specific request to President Trump was to designate the CV and PCC as terrorist organizations, asserting that their actions warrant such a classification.
With Brazil’s presidential election scheduled for October, supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro have been advocating for the U.S. designation as a means to criticize the public security policies of the current leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
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Advocates for the designation argue that the PCC and CV engage in activities such as drug trafficking, money laundering, weapons smuggling, and territorial control across international borders. They contend that these operations make them comparable to other transnational groups already recognized as terrorist organizations by the U.S.
The government of President Lula da Silva has voiced strong opposition to the designation. They maintain that these organizations are heavily armed criminal enterprises rather than ideologically driven terrorist groups. President Lula is also seeking re-election.
In a related development, Brazilian authorities initiated a significant financial crackdown this week targeting fraud and money-laundering networks reportedly connected to PCC operations, as reported by The Associated Press.
Prosecutors disclosed that the investigation uncovered billions of reais that had been channeled through fintech firms and shell corporations.
Last year, Brazilian authorities also exposed a large-scale criminal network that had infiltrated segments of the fuel industry. This network was linked to the financial sector through money-laundering schemes involving PCC members.
At that time, authorities successfully seized assets valued at 1.2 billion reais, which is approximately $220 million, according to the outlet.
