Brazil’s Director of Public Safety, Mario Salvo, has announced that the country will not label two significant US State Department criminal gangs as terrorist organizations. This decision came after a meeting with US officials in Brasilia on Tuesday.
US authorities expressed concerns about the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Commando Vermelho (CV), both of which exert control over various Brazilian cities and are believed to have members in the United States.
Amidst a broader crackdown on immigration, Trump aims to highlight the presence of Latin American gang members in US cities. Earlier this year, the US designated several criminal groups as terrorist organizations, including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, El Salvador’s MS-13, and various Mexican and Haitian gangs.
Salvo remarked, “There are no terrorist organizations here. There are criminal organizations that have invaded society.” He noted that Brazilian law only recognizes groups as terrorists if they engage in violent clashes with the government for religious or racial reasons.
Recently, the Trump administration has deported numerous Latin American immigrants purported to be gang members, despite a lack of substantial evidence linking them to criminal activities.
During their discussions in Brasilia, US officials emphasized that their demands were part of efforts to tackle immigration issues and criminal organizations with a transnational presence, stressing that this remains a priority for the Trump administration.
A source indicated that classifying these gangs as terrorists would enable the government to impose sanctions, allocate resources, and disrupt their criminal supply chains.
According to reports, the FBI has identified PCC and Commando Vermelho cells in 12 states within the US, particularly in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Connecticut, and Tennessee.
Further allegations suggest these gangs are involved in arms trafficking and laundering money through Brazilians traveling to the US. Additionally, it was reported that 113 individuals were denied visas in 2024 due to associations with organized crime.
On Monday, the office of Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, announced plans to meet with Trump organization officials to present documents linking PCC and CV to acts of terrorism.
The US Embassy in Brasilia has yet to respond to requests for comment.
