The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced this Wednesday (1st) sanctions against two Brazilian citizens, three Brazilian companies and a Portuguese company for links with Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), considered the largest criminal organization in Latin America.
This was the first decision taken by Washington since the designation of criminal groups based in Brazil as terrorists.
In Wednesday’s statement, the Treasury stated that the PCC represents a “significant threat to US national security, as its agents across the country, particularly in Florida, launder money from drug trafficking and contribute to a cycle of crime.”
The group is also believed to be involved in the expansion of drug trafficking in the country, smuggling large amounts of cash for cartels and other illicit activities in order to generate revenue streams.
According to Donald Trump’s government, the faction is currently the largest transnational criminal organization (OCT) in the Western Hemisphere and, in recent years, has expanded its operations globally, with a significant presence in countries such as the United Kingdom, Turkey and Japan.
“This designation is another step by the U.S. government to address and recognize the growing presence of First Capital Command’s illicit revenue generation within our borders,” said Gene Lange, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. “We cannot allow organized crime in the Western Hemisphere to establish operations on American soil that contribute to crime and lawlessness,” he added.
Since the designation of the Brazilian factions, in June, the US has already signaled that it will not give any respite to organized crime activity originating from Brazil. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced the arrest of a former PCC and CV chief during an immigration police raid in North Carolina.
US carried out operation to dismantle PCC network involved in money laundering
The Trump administration reported that it dismantled a PCC money laundering network that operated from Florida and São Paulo.
In January, the FBI arrested six members of the Florida-based group, who were indicted on money laundering charges in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. This Wednesday’s action by Ofac targets the core of the network based in São Paulo.
As a result of the action, all assets and interests in assets of the designated persons, which are in the US or under the control of US persons, will be blocked and must be reported to the US Treasury Department.