The U.S. State Department designated Brazil's Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) as Specially Designated Global Terrorists on Thursday, May 28 [1].
This move elevates the legal status of these criminal organizations, potentially complicating diplomatic ties between the two largest economies in the Americas. While the U.S. argues the label is necessary to combat transnational organized crime [4], Brazil has expressed concerns that such a classification is inappropriate for criminal gangs and could damage bilateral relations [4].
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the reclassification was not discussed during his meeting with President Donald Trump on May 7 [2]. The summit took place at the White House in Washington, D.C. [2].
Despite the lack of direct discussion during the summit, Lula said he provided the U.S. president with a document containing arguments against the classification of the factions as terrorists [3]. The formal announcement of the designation was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio [2].
U.S. lawmakers have previously warned about the potential fallout of this decision. One Democratic representative said that designating these factions as terrorists could harm the bilateral relationship between Brazil and the United States [4].
The State Department's action targets two specific organizations [3]. By applying the "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" label, the U.S. government can more aggressively freeze assets, and restrict the movement of individuals associated with the PCC and CV.
“"A reclassificação do CV e do PCC como terroristas não foi discutida na nossa reunião."”
The designation signals a shift in U.S. strategy toward Latin American organized crime, moving from a law-enforcement approach to a counter-terrorism framework. By bypassing direct agreement with President Lula, the Trump administration is prioritizing the disruption of transnational criminal networks over traditional diplomatic consensus, which may create friction in regional security cooperation.
