US designates Brazilian crime groups PCC and CV as terrorist organizations

On Thursday, the U.S. designated two major Brazilian crime organizations, the Red Command (CV) and the First Capital Command (PCC), as terrorist groups, despite opposition from Brasília. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that these syndicates are among the most violent in Brazil and have an impact that extends to the U.S. Together, they have thousands of members and have attacked law enforcement, politicians, and civilians. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva disagrees with this classification, while his political rival, Flávio Bolsonaro, supports it. Just earlier this week, Bolsonaro had a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. The U.S. began this designation for criminal gangs when Trump took office in January 2025, including cartels from Mexico and Venezuela.