BRASILIA, July 3 - Brazil’s federal police launched an operation focused on individuals who were placed under U.S. sanctions over alleged connections to the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday.
Authorities did not publicly name the suspects. In a statement, federal police said the campaign was designed to break up a criminal group accused of laundering funds tied to international drug trafficking.
Earlier in the week, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control added two Brazilian nationals to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, alleging those individuals had links to the PCC. The U.S. had also designated the PCC and its rival gang Comando Vermelho (CV) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations effective last month.
The recent U.S. measures went beyond individuals. Three Brazilian entities were also targeted by the sanctions; two of those entities operate in the financial sector and were alleged to have connections to one of the sanctioned individuals.
Officials in Brazil’s presidential administration have expressed concern about the consequences of such foreign designations. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government has sought to avoid these sorts of labels, citing a worry that they might ultimately permit further actions by the United States, including potential military engagement or sanctions affecting banks that inadvertently conduct business with people linked to the gangs.
The federal police statement emphasized the financial-crime element of the operation, noting the focus on proceeds allegedly generated by international narcotics trafficking and subsequently laundered through networks the authorities are aiming to dismantle.
While investigators and external authorities have taken coordinated steps in recent days, identities of those targeted in the police operation have not been disclosed publicly, and the full scope and outcomes of the enforcement action remain to be detailed by law enforcement.
Reporting notes
- The operation targets individuals recently sanctioned by the United States for alleged links to the PCC.
- U.S. actions included adding two nationals to the SDN list and designating PCC and Comando Vermelho as Foreign Terrorist Organizations last month.
- Three Brazilian entities, including two in the financial sector, were also targeted by the U.S. sanctions for alleged links to one of the designated individuals.