U.S. Terrorist Designation of Brazil's PCC and CV Threatens Police Cooperation

The United States designated Brazil’s Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV) as foreign terrorist organizations, a move that took effect on Friday. Brazilian officials warned the label could disrupt daily intelligence sharing and joint anti‑drug and arms‑trafficking operations, shifting investigations from the FBI, DEA and immigration authorities to the CIA and potentially halting cooperation.

Brazil’s National Public Security Secretary Chico Lucas said the country will not allow any foreign intervention, while Federal Police director‑general Andrei Rodrigues called the decision a “political decision.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the gangs as among Brazil’s most violent criminal organizations. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration had tried to avert the designation, fearing it could open the door to U.S. military or covert actions and trigger sanctions on Brazilian banks.

Defence Minister José Múcio denounced the U.S. move as an “intromission,” stressing Brazil’s sovereign right to handle its own criminal groups. He made the remarks at a ceremony in Sweden presenting the first Gripen F fighter to the Brazilian Air Force, and also referenced a separate U.S. proposal for a 25% tariff on Brazilian exports.