The Brazilian factions Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV) could be the next criminal organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean to be labeled as terrorist groups by the United States government. Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has classified 14 criminal groups in the region in this way.
The designation opposes the governments of the United States and Brazil and has become a topic of friction in the preparation of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s trip to Washington, which could take place this month, but has been postponed and remains without a defined date.
In response to Estadão, American diplomacy stated that the PCC and CV are significant threats to regional security. The State Department said it will act appropriately against groups involved in terrorism, but did not say if and when the Brazilian factions will be designated.
The body led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Republican politician with Cuban family roots and a Latin American electoral base, has already designated groups involved in crimes in six countries in the region as terrorists: Mexico (6), Colombia (1), Venezuela (2), Ecuador (2), El Salvador (1) and Haiti (2).
Of these, only Ecuador, under Daniel Noboa, and El Salvador, under Nayib Bukele, have governments ideologically aligned with Trump and considered in Washington as direct partners in the fight against transnational organized crime. The others maintain collaboration, but their governments differ politically from Trump.
Noboa and Bukele were among the regional leaders invited by Trump to the Shield of the Americas meeting, which discussed combating crime.
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The purpose of the designation is to facilitate the freezing of drug trafficking assets, the investigation and monitoring of faction members, the exchange of intelligence information, the application of financial sanctions, visa bans and the criminalization of material support, with weapons, money or training, among others.
Although US law does not authorize military attacks under such designation, it is common for organizations labeled as terrorists to target US military personnel outside their territory. Trump has also been questioned for not seeking approval from Congress or the United Nations Security Council for military strikes.
This is a fear of the Brazilian government. Before the military operation in Caracas to capture dictator Nicolás Maduro, the US designated the Venezuelan factions Tren de Aragua and Cartel de Los Soles as terrorists. The US Department of Justice even formally accused Maduro of leading Los Soles, but later backed down.
The argument of combating drug trafficking was used by the Trump administration to position vessels and aircraft in the Caribbean Sea. They bombed small boats accused of transporting drugs, without demonstrating their illegal or violent activity, and later served as the basis for the attack that overthrew Maduro.
List of foreign terrorist organizations designated by the Department of State, from Donald Trump’s second term to date:
1.20 Feb 2025 – Sinaloa Cartel (Mexico)
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2.20 Feb 2025 – Jalisco New Generation Cartel – CJNG (Mexico)
3.20 Feb 2025 – Northeast Cartel (Mexico)
4.20 Feb 2025 – The New Michoacana Family (Mexico)
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5.20 Feb 2025 – Gulf Cartel (Mexico)
6.20 Feb 2025 – United Cartels (Mexico)
7.20 Feb 2025 – Aragua Train (Venezuela)
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8.20 Feb 2025 – Mara Salvatrucha – MS-13 (El Salvador)
9.05 Mar 2025 – Ansarallah
10.05 May 2025 – Live Together (Haiti)
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11.05 mai 2025 – Gran Grif (Haiti)
12.12 ago 2025 – Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)
13.05 set 2025 – Los Choneros (Equador)
14.05 set 2025 – Los Lobos (Equador)
15.18 set 2025 – Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN)
16.18 set 2025 – Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS)
17.18 set 2025 – Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (HAAA)
18.18 September 2025 – Kata’ib al-Imam Ali (KIA)
19.24 set 2025 – Barrio 18
20.20 nov 2025 – Antifa Ost (aka Hammer Gang)
21.20 nov 2025 – Informal Anarchist Federation / International revolutionary Front (FAI/FRI)
22.20 nov 2025 – Armed Proletarian Justice
23.20 nov 2025 – Revolutionary Class Self-Defense
24.24 Nov 2025 – Cartel of the Suns (Venezuela)
25.17 Dec 2025 – Clan del Golfo (Colombia)
26.14 jan 2026 – Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood
