Chilean police arrest seven members of Brazilian PCC gang

Chilean investigators have arrested seven suspected members of the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), Brazil’s largest criminal organization, as part of ‘Operación Sintonía 1533’. The operation, which began in 2022, involved raids on 24 homes across three regions and inspections of nine correctional facilities.

Authorities seized weapons and over 3 kilograms of cocaine during the proceedings. Subprefect Pablo Godoy, head of the Metropolitan South Anti-Narcotics Brigade, stated that the PCC intended to establish a presence in Chile by recruiting individuals with extensive criminal records. The group operates through various stages, or ‘sintonías’, dedicated to drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and human trafficking.

In addition to the seven detainees, thirteen other individuals currently serving sentences in preventive detention centers are under investigation. The suspects include both Chilean and Brazilian citizens as authorities work to dismantle the organization’s influence within the country.