This is a list of criminal gangs in Brazil, of Brazilian or foreign origin. Amigos dos Amigos (Friends of Friends) – operates in Rio de Janeiro. It began in 1998 when a member of § Red Command was expelled from the organization for ordering the murder of another member. The gang's main rivals are Red Command and § Pure Third Command.

Comando Vermelho (Portuguese: [koˈmɐ̃du veʁˈmeʎu], Red Command or Red Commando), also known as CV, is a Brazilian criminal organization engaged primarily in drug trafficking, arms trafficking, protection racketeering, kidnapping -for- ransom, hijacking of armored trucks, loansharking, irregular warfare, narco-terrorism, and turf wars against riv...

20 hours ago · The Comando Vermelho (CV), or Red Command, has steadily become a major regional threat from sending cocaine to Europe, contributing to devastating the Amazon, and fighting endless wars with rivals. The Comando Vermelho (CV) is one of the oldest and most influential criminal organizations in Brazil, having emerged in the 1970s within the Rio de Janeiro penitentiary system. Since then, … Read more

Jan 30, 2025 · In Brazil, where shifts in gang dynamics have created new violent hotspots, innocent bystanders are becoming victims of turf wars as criminal groups react violently to innocuous hand gestures and social media posts.

Jul 1, 2024 · Gangs disputing emerging drug trafficking routes in northern and northeastern Brazil drove homicide rates up in several states, the Atlas found, most notably in Piauí, Amapá, and Roraima. In Piauí, homicides grew by almost 50%, from 16.3 per 100,000 inhabitants in …

The Primeiro Comando da Capital ("Capital's First Command", Portuguese pronunciation: [pɾiˈmejɾu koˈmɐ̃du da kapiˈtaw], PCC) is a Brazilian organized crime syndicate. According to a 2023 The Economist report, the PCC is Latin America's biggest drug gang, with a membership of 40,000 lifetime members plus 60,000 "contractors". [6]

Nov 24, 2023 · Brazil’s two largest gangs, the First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital – PCC) and the Red Command (Comando Vermelho – CV), have used prisons as bases of operations, becoming increasingly involved in international drug trafficking as well as arms and contraband trafficking.

Dec 11, 2024 · Criminal gangs are operating in over a third of municipalities in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest driving a boom in violence, according to a report published by the Brazilian Forum of Public Security.

Mar 14, 2023 · State police militias and drug trafficking gangs are waging fierce territorial battles in Brazil, where the country is the world’s third largest cocaine producer and a key transit point for drugs to Europe and Asia.

Over the past three decades, the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) has transformed from a prison gang founded in São Paulo into a transnational criminal “ leviathan,” with a presence throughout...