Comando Vermelho (CV)

FTOForeign Terrorist Organization // Designated Jun 5, 2026 // U.S. State Dept.

Profile Overview //

Threat Tier

Tier 2 - Transnational / Professionalized

Volatility Index

VI-3 - Moderate

Organization Type

Prison-Origin Gang

Operational Status

Active

Designation Status

US FTO and SDGT

FTO Designation

Yes Jun 5, 2026

Designation Detail

CONFIRMED: Designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on May 28, 2026, and as a Foreign Terrorist Organization effective June 5, 2026 (Jones Day). The designation exposes companies to material-support liability under the Anti-Terrorism Act and OFAC sanctions rules. It does not by itself establish a link to a terrorist group.

Area of Operation

South America, North America, Europe, West Africa

Specific AOR

REPORTED (earlier public reporting): Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian states. CONFIRMED: The State Department says its networks extend across the region and into the United States; Reuters notes no evidence was cited.

Force Strength

DATA DEFICIT: No sourced figure.

Leadership

DATA DEFICIT: The sources reviewed name no current leaders.

Headquarters

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Coordinates

-22.9068, -43.1729

Operational Monikers

CV, Comando Vermelho, Red Command

Last Verified

2026-11-12

Operational Brief //

CommandEleven Intelligence Desk // Transnational Organized Crime Desk, status as of November 12, 2026

Bottom Line Up Front. Comando Vermelho (CV, Red Command) is a Brazil-based transnational criminal organization. The U.S. State Department designated it a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on May 28, 2026 and a Foreign Terrorist Organization effective June 5, 2026. The State Department says it commands thousands of members and calls it one of the two most violent criminal organizations in Brazil. We assess that, as with the PCC, the designation changes compliance risk for companies more than it changes the group's behavior.

What We Could Not Source. Current leadership, membership and revenue. The sources reviewed give no figures and name no leaders.

History, Goals and Doctrine //

Operational History

REPORTED (earlier public reporting): Formed in Rio de Janeiro's prisons in the 1970s and 1980s. CONFIRMED: The State Department says the group has carried out violent attacks against police officers, public officials and civilians. CONFIRMED: SDGT designation May 28, 2026 and FTO designation effective June 5, 2026.

Operational Goals

ASSESSED: Hold territory and trafficking routes, mostly in Rio de Janeiro and other states.

Ideology

None. Profit-driven criminal enterprise.

Org Doctrine

Prison-born, territorially focused gang with local community control.

Regional Command

DATA DEFICIT: Not publicly mapped in our sources.

Operational Signature

Territorial control of urban neighborhoods; drug and arms trafficking; violence against police and officials.

Flashpoint

CONFIRMED: The U.S. designation of May 28 and June 5, 2026.

Primary Adversaries

Brazilian police and security forces; PCC (historical rival); U.S. authorities.

Terror Group Links //

Link Nature

Logistical / Smuggling

Evidence Tier

DATA DEFICIT

Link Evidence

DATA DEFICIT: We found no sourced operational link between Comando Vermelho and a terrorist group. The FTO designation is a legal tool, not evidence of a terror partnership.

Capabilities and Finance //

Weaponry Focus

Small Arms (Pistols/Rifles)

Technology Profile

DATA DEFICIT: No sourced assessment. We do not publish technical specifics.

Financial Vectors

Narcotics TraffickingArms TraffickingProtection Money / Extortion

Spatial Profile

Dense urban neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro, plus river and highway routes.

Cyber Assessment

DATA DEFICIT: No sourced information.

Governance and Control //

Territorial Controllers

DATA DEFICIT: Plaza-level controllers are not publicly mapped.

Administrative Responsibility

ASSESSED: Coordinates trafficking and territorial control.

Administrative HQ

DATA DEFICIT: Not publicly confirmed.

Command Table

DATA DEFICIT: No sourced information.

Court Registry

DATA DEFICIT: No court action sourced in this review.

Disruption Vector Matrix //

Logistical Vulnerability

Dependence on urban territory and trafficking corridors.

Logistic Strategy

Joint enforcement and corridor interdiction.

Financial Vulnerability

DATA DEFICIT: Not sourced.

Financial Strategy

Beneficial-ownership checks and financial screening.

Leadership Vulnerability

DATA DEFICIT: Not assessed.

Leadership Strategy

Not assessed.

Disruption Strategy

Keep U.S.-Brazil police cooperation open, use financial controls, and run compliance screening for exposure.

Threat Matrix //

Operational Threat

3 - Medium (Regional Network)

ASSESSED: High in Brazil, more local in reach than the PCC.

Kinetic Capability

3 - Medium (IED/Targeted Assassinations)

ASSESSED: Moderate to high in its home territory.

Logistical Resilience

3 - Medium (Localized Taxation/Smuggling Links)

ASSESSED: Moderate to high.

Information Influence

3 - Medium (Basic Digital Presence/Uncoordinated Channels)

ASSESSED: Moderate.

Analytical Note //

Analytical Note

ASSESSED: The designation shifts compliance and cooperation risk. Watch how it affects joint operations and any U.S. action tied to the designation.