The Brazilian factions Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV) were considered international terrorist groups by the United States government this Thursday, 28th. Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has already classified 14 criminal groups in the region in this way. The measure will take effect on June 5th.
The designation opposes the governments of the United States and Brazil and became a topic of friction in the preparation of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s trip to Washington, which took place at the beginning of this month.
The measure will be implemented in spite of the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva government, and after the express request and political support of the opposition pre-candidate for Palácio do Planalto and senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ). When contacted, Itamaraty has not yet responded.
American diplomacy had stated to Estadão, in March of this year, that the PCC and the CV were significant threats to regional security. 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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In this Thursday’s statement, Rubio states that the two factions have influence and illicit connections that “extend far beyond the borders of Brazil, our region and are within our country (USA)”.
“The Trump administration will continue to use every tool available to protect our nation and our security interests by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and ending the revenue streams that fund violent narco-terrorists,” Rubio wrote.
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.
This is what happened recently in recent months in the Caribbean and the Pacific, when the Southern Command of the American Armed Forces attacked boats that allegedly belonged to Venezuelan and Mexican cartels.
Trump has also been questioned for not seeking approval from Congress or the United Nations Security Council for military strikes.
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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.
Diplomatic interlocutors also cite the risk that the Brazilian financial system will be the target of American sanctions, due to the flow of money from organized crime, even if banks are not aware of the illicit origin of the resources.
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List of foreign terrorist organizations designated by the Department of State, from Donald Trump’s second term to date:
February 20, 2025 – Sinaloa Cartel (Mexico)
Feb 20, 2025 – Jalisco New Generation Cartel – CJNG (Mexico)
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Feb 20, 2025 – Northeast Cartel (Mexico)
Feb 20, 2025 – The New Michoacana Family (Mexico)
Feb 20, 2025 – Gulf Cartel (Mexico)
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Feb 20, 2025 – United Cartels (Mexico)
Feb 20, 2025 – Aragua Train (Venezuela)
Feb 20, 2025 – Mara Salvatrucha – MS-13 (El Salvador)
05 Mar 2025 – Ansarallah
May 5, 2025 – Live Together (Haiti)
05 may 2025 – Gran Grif (Haiti)
12 ago 2025 – Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)
05 Sep 2025 – Los Choneros (Equador)
05 Sep 2025 – Los Lobos (Equador)
18 set 2025 – Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN)
18 set 2025 – Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS)
18 set 2025 – Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (HAAA)
18 September 2025 – Kata’ib al-Imam Ali (KIA)
24 set 2025 – Barrio 18
20 nov 2025 – Antifa Ost (aka Hammer Gang)
20 nov 2025 – Informal Anarchist Federation / International revolutionary Front (FAI/FRI)
20 nov 2025 – Armed Proletarian Justice
20 nov 2025 – Revolutionary Class Self-Defense
Nov 24, 2025 – Cartel of the Suns (Venezuela)
December 17, 2025 – Clan del Golfo (Colombia)
14 jan 2026 – Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood
16 mar 2026 – Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood
May 28, 2026 – First Capital Command (PCC)
May 28, 2026 – Red Command (CV)
