The United States will designate the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations [1].

This move shifts the status of these Brazilian criminal groups from domestic gangs to international security threats. The designation allows the U.S. government to employ more aggressive financial and legal tools to disrupt the groups' transnational operations.

The classification took effect on May 5, 2026 [1, 2]. This addition brings the total number of entities on the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organizations list to more than 90 [1].

U.S. officials view the PCC and CV as significant transnational criminal threats [3]. However, the decision has faced pushback from some U.S. lawmakers. Isabella Menon, representing Democratic members of Congress, said the State Department should reconsider the proposal to designate the groups [3].

In Brazil, the move has sparked political debate. Some reports indicate that pressure from politicians Flávio and Eduardo Bolsonaro was decisive in the U.S. government's evaluation of the factions [4].

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has distanced himself from the decision. He said he did not discuss the classification of the PCC and CV as terrorist organizations with President Donald Trump [2].

Despite the announced effective date, some reports suggest the U.S. government is still considering the final classification or has issued a communiqué indicating a possible offensive [5, 6].

“The U.S. will designate the PCC and CV as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.”

The designation of the PCC and CV as terrorist organizations marks a significant escalation in how the U.S. treats Latin American organized crime. By moving these groups from a criminal framework to a counter-terrorism framework, the U.S. can freeze assets and criminalize the provision of material support more effectively. This shift also highlights the influence of Brazilian political factions on U.S. foreign policy and may complicate the diplomatic relationship between the current Brazilian administration and the Trump administration.