Trump designates Brazil’s biggest drug gangs as terrorist groups
Washington moved against Brazil’s PCC and Comando Vermelho, opening the door to sanctions, asset freezes and a deeper clash with Lula over election-year security.
The Trump administration moved to put Brazil’s two largest drug gangs under the U.S. terrorism regime, a step that could freeze assets, intensify bank scrutiny and deepen a political fight with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The U.S. State Department said on Thursday, May 28, 2026, that it had designated Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital as Specially Designated Global Terrorists and intended to make them Foreign Terrorist Organizations effective June 5, 2026. The department called the two groups among the most violent criminal organizations in Brazil, saying they have thousands of members and have carried out attacks on police officers, public officials and civilians.
The move followed a May 27 White House meeting in which Flávio Bolsonaro said he asked President Donald Trump to make the designation. Reuters reported that the action also followed appeals from opposition figures in Brasília. Brazilian officials have warned that such a step would amount to political interference, especially with Brazil’s October 2026 election approaching and security set to dominate the campaign. Lula has opposed labeling criminal gangs as terrorist organizations, while Bolsonaro allies in Congress have pressed Trump to act more aggressively.
The designation carries consequences beyond symbolism. U.S. terrorist listings can trigger sanctions, asset freezes and stricter transaction screening, forcing banks and companies with exposure to Brazil to tighten compliance and reassess risk. Analysts said the fallout could extend through companies operating across Latin America and Europe, where PCC networks are also believed to operate, and could further strain relations between Trump and Lula at a moment when both governments are already clashing over how to confront organized crime.
Comando Vermelho dates to the late 1970s, when it emerged from a prison alliance during Brazil’s military dictatorship. Primeiro Comando da Capital arose in São Paulo in the 1990s. Reporting and expert estimates cited in current coverage put their combined membership at more than 50,000, making this one of the largest organized-crime designations Washington has ever used in the hemisphere.
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