US to designate Brazilian drug gangs as foreign terrorist organisations

The U.S. State Department has announced that it will designate two major Brazilian criminal groups — Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV) — as Foreign Terrorist Organisations starting June 5, according to dpa.

The department said both groups are “two of the most violent criminal organizations in Brazil” and control thousands of members.

According to the State Department, the gangs are involved in attacks on police officers, government officials, and civilians, and are heavily engaged in drug trafficking, including cocaine smuggling.

The PCC is considered the largest criminal organisation in Brazil, while CV is one of the country’s main drug cartels. Operations against them are frequently marked by high casualty rates.

The Brazilian government has opposed the decision, arguing that under national law these groups do not qualify as terrorist organisations because they lack political or ideological motives.

The move expands Washington’s practice of designating Latin American cartels as terrorist organisations, following earlier listings of groups from Venezuela, Mexico, and Ecuador.