US government labels Brazil's 2 biggest drug gangs as foreign terrorist organizations

Source: Associated Press

US government labels Brazil’s 2 biggest drug gangs as foreign terrorist organizations

By MAURICIO SAVARESE
Updated 8:43 PM EDT, May 28, 2026

SAO PAULO (AP) — The U.S. State Department announced on Thursday that it will designate Brazil’s two biggest criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations early next month, a move the South American nation’s government has said it will interpret as undue interference in its politics.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that the First Command of the Capital, or PCC, and the Red Command, or CV, will be considered foreign terrorist organizations as of June 5. Until then, they will be named as specially designated global terrorists, which hampers their ability to make financial transactions as they are regarded as a threat to U.S. citizens.

Rubio’s announcement comes 24 hours after a visit by Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, a presidential hopeful and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who has advocated for the move. The senator’s bid to face President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in October’s election is at risk after he admitted receiving money from a disgraced banker.

Lula, who the Bolsonaros accuse of not fighting organized crime, has repeatedly said he would interpret a designation of the two criminal groups as terrorist organizations as interference to favor his electoral rival. He has yet to comment on Thursday’s announcement.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/brazil-pcc-comando-vermelho-foreign-terrorist-organizations-trump-68fe261fa5ab6980864405345970f68f