The United States has designated two of Brazil’s most powerful criminal organizations, Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), as Specially Designated Global Terrorists and plans to formally classify them as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, the State Department said.
The designation will become effective on June 5, 2026, upon publication in the Federal Register.
The designation exposes both groups to some of the most severe counterterrorism and sanctions tools in the arsenal of the U.S. government.
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According to the State Department’s statement on Thursday, May 28, CV and PCC are responsible for extensive violence, drug trafficking, and organized crime operations that reach beyond Brazil and into other parts of Latin America and the United States.
The two groups have thousands of members and have developed sophisticated criminal networks for smuggling drugs, trafficking weapons, and carrying out organized attacks against state institutions, officials said.
CV and PCC are widely regarded as the most influential criminal organizations in Brazil. Both groups originated within the Brazilian prison system and, over time, expanded into large transnational networks with strong control over parts of urban and border territories.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the groups have been linked to violent attacks targeting Brazilian police officers, public officials, and civilians.
Their operations, according to the State Department, have also contributed toward instability in parts of the region where drug routes and territorial control are contested.
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The U.S. government has the authority under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to bar financial transactions with groups, freeze assets within U.S. jurisdiction, and make it a criminal offense to provide material support to the organizations.
The action also falls under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorist financing and disrupts networks that support designated groups.
A State Department statement said the decision shows major efforts by the Trump administration to disrupt transnational criminal organizations that contribute to drug trafficking and violence affecting the United States.
“The Trump Administration will continue to use all available tools to protect our nation and our national security interests by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding violent narco-terrorists,” the statement said.
Officials described the move as part of a wider strategy to target cartel-style groups operating across the Americas.
The administration has increasingly used terrorism-related powers to address organizations involved in drug trafficking and organized crime, particularly those with cross-border influence.
According to the State Department, CV and PCC operate beyond Brazil with wide networks involved in trafficking cocaine and other narcotics through South America, Central America, and toward North America.
Security analysts have long described both groups as among the most organized criminal networks in the region.
Their influence inside Brazil has included control of prison systems, illegal taxation of communities in areas under their influence, and competition for territory with rival gangs.
Brazilian authorities have carried out repeated crackdowns on both groups over the years, including large-scale police and military operations aimed at reducing their control in major cities such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Despite these efforts, both CV and PCC have continued to operate and expand.
The U.S. decision is expected to increase pressure on financial and logistical networks linked to the groups.
It may also affect individuals and companies suspected of providing indirect support, including money laundering channels and international trafficking partners.
Rubio said the designation is intended to disrupt the financial systems that allow the organizations to support operations across borders.
The announcement is likely to draw attention in Brazil, where security policy toward organized crime has been a long-standing challenge.
The PCC and CV have been central to violent crime trends in the country for decades, including prison riots, organized attacks on law enforcement, and large-scale drug distribution networks.
The State Department is expected to take further action based on how the groups respond and how international cooperation develops to combat transnational crime.
