On May 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of State announced the designation of two Brazil-based transnational criminal organizations, Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho (together, the “TCOs”), as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (“SDGTs”) and announced its intention to designate both groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (“FTOs”), effective June 5, 2026. These actions follow the Trump Administration’s designation of eight Mexican and Latin American criminal organizations as SDGTs and FTOs in February 2025, and they are part of the Administration’s broader strategy of leveraging counterterrorism authorities to combat transnational criminal organizations.
