The government of Donald Trump is moving forward with procedures to classify Brazil’s Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). The Department of State has completed the technical documentation supporting the designation and the decision awaits only political approval, according to sources familiar with the U.S. Government. This action has triggered an urgent diplomatic crisis between Washington and Brasilia.
Rising Tensions
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday to discuss the matter, according to sources within the Brazilian government. The conversation occurred as preparations continue for a visit by Brazilian President Lula to Washington, though a date has not yet been set. The central focus of the discussion was the impending designation. Secretary Rubio is identified as the principal driver of this measure, and the proposal could be sent to Congress for ratification in the coming days.
Brasilia’s concerns extend beyond symbolism. An FTO designation criminalizes material support for the organization, enables asset freezes, and opens the door to unilateral military operations abroad. The Lula government cites the case of Venezuela, where Washington launched naval attacks in July 2025 after designating the Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization, and U.S. Forces captured Maduro in Venezuela in January 2026.
Origins of the Groups
The Comando Vermelho was founded in the 1970s in Cândido Mendes prison as an alliance between common prisoners and left-wing militants imprisoned during the military dictatorship. The organization later abandoned its ideological component and became the oldest criminal group in the country, based in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. The PCC emerged in São Paulo in August 1993, founded by eight prisoners in Taubaté prison in response to the Carandiru massacre, in which security forces killed over one hundred inmates.
Since January 2025, the Trump administration has designated 25 Latin American organizations as foreign terrorist organizations, including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and six Mexican cartels. Paraguay took the lead in October 2025 with a presidential decree declaring the PCC and CV as terrorist organizations, authorizing the deployment of the Armed Forces to the border with Brazil. The governor of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro, supported Washington’s initiative following the October 28th police operation against the Comando Vermelho, the deadliest in Brazilian history, with over 120 deaths.
The Lula government argues that both organizations are motivated by profit, not political or ideological goals. Analysts have warned that the designation could lead to FBI arrests of operatives abroad and the freezing of assets held by shell companies. With presidential elections in 2026, the issue has also become a domestic political weapon, with Eduardo Bolsonaro acting as an active intermediary on the right.
Brazil has limited time to prevent a decision that, according to several sources, has already passed the technical stage and awaits only a signature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the potential impact of the FTO designation?
The designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization would make providing material support to the PCC or CV a federal crime, allow for the freezing of assets, and potentially open the door to unilateral military operations in Brazil.
Who is driving the effort to designate these groups as terrorists?
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is identified as the principal driver of the measure, and the proposal could be sent to Congress for ratification.
What is the Brazilian government’s response to this potential designation?
The Brazilian government argues that the PCC and CV are motivated by profit, not political or ideological goals, and fears the designation could impact Brazil’s sovereignty.
Given the potential for significant geopolitical ramifications, how might this situation unfold in the coming weeks and months?
