United States Adds Two Brazilian Drug Trafficking Groups To Terrorist List
US declares two Brazilian drug groups as terrorist organisations.
The United States on Thursday announced that it will designate two major Brazilian criminal organizations — First Command of the Capital (PCC) and Red Command (CV) — as foreign terrorist organizations, escalating Washington’s crackdown on transnational drug trafficking networks across Latin America. The move, announced by the US State Department, is set to take effect on June 5 and marks a significant expansion of the Trump administration’s hardline anti-cartel strategy in the Western Hemisphere.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two groups are among Brazil’s most violent criminal organizations and accused them of orchestrating attacks against police officers, public officials, and civilians. In a statement, Rubio said the gangs’ influence extends beyond Brazil into neighboring countries and the United States through illicit trafficking and organized crime networks. Until the designation formally takes effect next week, both groups will remain classified as specially designated global terrorists under existing sanctions frameworks.
The decision has triggered political tensions in Brazil ahead of the country’s presidential elections later this year. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, has repeatedly criticized the possibility of labeling domestic criminal organizations as terrorist entities, arguing that such a move could amount to foreign interference in Brazil’s internal affairs. Lula’s allies have also accused supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro and his son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, of lobbying Washington to intensify pressure on the Brazilian government over crime and security issues.
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Supporters of the Bolsonaro family have argued that Lula’s administration has failed to effectively combat organized crime and drug trafficking networks operating across Brazil. Conservative lawmakers aligned with Bolsonaro have publicly supported stronger US action against the PCC and CV, portraying the designations as necessary to weaken powerful gangs that operate within prisons, urban communities, and international smuggling routes. Security experts estimate that the two organizations together may have more than 50,000 members and extensive operations linked to Europe and South America.
The terrorist designation forms part of a broader regional strategy adopted by the Trump administration to combat drug cartels and transnational criminal groups through expanded military and intelligence operations. In recent months, the United States has intensified operations in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, including maritime strikes targeting what officials describe as “narcoterrorist” groups involved in trafficking narcotics into North America. Washington has argued that criminal organizations with large-scale cross-border operations pose direct national security threats requiring more aggressive measures.
Analysts say the designation could increase financial sanctions, expand international law enforcement cooperation, and complicate the operations of individuals or businesses linked to the two Brazilian gangs. However, critics warn that applying terrorism labels to criminal groups may blur legal distinctions between organized crime and political violence, potentially creating diplomatic friction with regional governments. The issue is expected to remain politically sensitive in Brazil as campaigning intensifies ahead of the October presidential election.
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