The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to announce the designation of the Brazilian factions Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) as foreign terrorist organizations. The decision could be formalized in the coming days by the U.S. Department of State.
The information was revealed by UOL columnist Mariana Sanches and confirmed to the report by various sources linked to or close to the U.S. government. According to the investigation, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira was informed in Washington about the progress of the proposal and has been trying to establish contact with Secretary of State Marco Rubio since Saturday (7). As of the publication of the report, there was no confirmation that the dialogue between the two diplomats had taken place.
If the designation is formalized, the groups will join the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO). This classification provides for a series of automatic sanctions by the U.S. government.
Among the main consequences is the freezing of assets of organization members under U.S. jurisdiction, as well as the exclusion of these groups from the country’s financial system. The measure also prohibits U.S. citizens or entities from providing any kind of “material support,” including weapons or financial resources.
The terrorist organization classification also imposes immigration restrictions on people associated with the factions and increases legal risks for companies operating in regions where these groups operate. Companies may be targeted by sanctions from the Department of the Treasury, through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
According to the report, OFAC has already issued alerts to companies about the increased risk of doing business in countries where cartels designated as terrorists are present, as occurs in Mexico.
The issue also has implications for the regional security debate. The U.S. President has already publicly mentioned the possibility of military attacks against cartels in Mexican territory, although experts point to legal divergences on whether the terrorist organization designation would provide sufficient legal basis for that type of action.
Within the U.S. government, the discussion on framing criminal factions as terrorist organizations has been underway for months by various authorities. Among those involved are the Under Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Landau; the Acting Deputy Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Darren Beattie; and the Senior Advisor for the Western Hemisphere, Ricardo Pita.
The initiative also has the support of the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Sarah Carter, confirmed by Congress in January as responsible for the Trump administration’s anti-drug policy.
Source: brasil247.com