Trump Accuses Brazil of Failing Against PCC and CV; Lula Government Rebuts

The Trump administration on September 15 sent Congress its annual determination on major drug-producing and transit countries. Brazil was not placed on the list of 23 nations, which includes Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. However, the document singled out Brazil, stating it "failed to confront" the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV), which Washington says have turned Brazil into a hub for global cocaine flows.

The White House called for "aggressive measures" against the two groups. In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had designated both as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The Brazilian government responded on September 16 with an official note from the Ministry of Justice refuting any failure or omission.

“The Brazilian government refutes any allegations that there are failures or omissions in confronting transnational organized crime”

Brazil cited the Anti-Faction Law enacted in March 2026 with harsher penalties for faction leaders, the Brazil Against Organized Crime Program launched in May, and tens of thousands of federal operations causing billions of reais in losses to criminal groups. Officials also noted a cooperation proposal Lula personally delivered to Trump on May 7 that remains unanswered.

Brazilian prosecutors and Federal Police sources described the U.S. criticism as politically motivated weeks before Brazil's presidential election. Anchieta Nery, operations director at the National Public Security Secretariat, warned of potential U.S. sanctions against Brazilian financial institutions, citing pressure on other Latin American countries.

Lula is expected to address the issue in his September 22 speech at the UN General Assembly, highlighting recent cooperation agreements with neighboring countries and the United States.