The U.S. State Department identified activity from two Brazilian criminal organizations across 12 states [1].

This development follows the official designation of these groups as terrorist organizations. The presence of these networks within U.S. borders signals an escalation in the international reach of Brazilian organized crime and a shift in how the U.S. government classifies these threats.

State Department spokesperson Amanda Roberson said the government detected activity from the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and the Comando Vermelho (CV) [1]. The administration has labeled these groups as terrorist organizations due to the security threats they pose [1].

While the State Department confirmed the groups are active in 12 states [1], officials did not name the specific states involved. The identification of these cells comes as the Trump administration increases its focus on transnational criminal organizations that operate across borders.

The PCC and CV are two of the most powerful criminal factions in Brazil. Their expansion into the U.S. suggests a sophisticated logistics network capable of managing operations far from their home territory, a move that may trigger increased surveillance and law enforcement cooperation between Washington and Brasília.

Roberson said the designations are part of a broader strategy to neutralize the influence of these organizations [1]. The U.S. government is now treating the presence of these groups as a national security concern rather than a standard law enforcement issue.

“The U.S. State Department identified activity from two Brazilian criminal organizations across 12 states.”

By designating the PCC and Comando Vermelho as terrorist organizations, the U.S. government can employ more aggressive legal and financial tools to dismantle their networks. This shift allows for expanded intelligence gathering and the freezing of assets that would be more difficult under standard narcotics or gang-related statutes. The identification of activity in 12 states suggests that these groups have moved beyond isolated cells to a more systemic presence in the U.S.