The United States will designate two Brazilian gangs as foreign terrorist organisations from June 5, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday in Washington.
Rubio said the move targets Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho, Brazil’s two largest criminal networks.
The State Department has already named both groups Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The measures block access to US assets and add tougher legal limits on the groups, according to US rules.
Rubio said the Trump administration would use all available tools to stop illicit drugs and disrupt criminal revenue.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has opposed the label, according to media reports.
His foreign affairs adviser, Celso Amorim, said Brazil welcomes cooperation against organised crime but rejects any pretext for intervention.
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The announcement came after Senator Flávio Bolsonaro said he urged President Donald Trump to target both groups.
