The United States Designates Two Infamous Brazilian Gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations

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Thursday, June 18, 2026
Author: 
Dimitris Konstantopoulos
Volume: 
42
Issue: 
7
Abstract: 

On May 28, 2026, the United States Department of State formally designated two Brazilian gangs, Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), as specially designated global terrorists (SDGT) and Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO). The Trump administration is justifying its designation by claiming that both the PCC and the CV launched attacks against police and military targets across Brazil, traffic drugs throughout Brazil and the rest of the Americas, and maintain worldwide criminal networks