The criminal organization First Capital Command (PCC) has established a presence in at least 28 countries and has infiltrated foreign prison systems to recruit new members and expand its operations in drug and arms trafficking, as well as money laundering. This information comes from a mapping initiative conducted by the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office. According to the study, the PCC has at least 2,078 members outside Brazil, spread across 28 countries. More than half of them — 1,092 individuals — are currently incarcerated. The report has been shared with embassies and consulates abroad to support international cooperation in the fight against transnational crime across no fewer than four continents.
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Infiltration of Prisons
In addition to territorial expansion, what has particularly caught the attention of both Brazilian and international authorities and investigators is the fact that PCC members are not only traveling abroad temporarily but are also settling permanently in foreign countries. A key component of this strategy involves infiltrating prison systems — a tactic that has become something of a “signature” for the São Paulo-based faction.
Cross-referencing Information
The mapping was based on the cross-referencing of intelligence data collected through the monitoring of PCC members operating within the so-called “Sintonia dos Estados” and “Sintonia dos País” — internal sectors of the group responsible for overseeing the faction’s expansion beyond the state of São Paulo and internationally. The analysis also incorporated data obtained through judicially authorized wiretaps and the lifting of online secrecy protections, along with the exchange of intelligence with foreign authorities.
Countries Where the PCC Is Present
The countries identified in the report as having a PCC presence include Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, the United States, France, French Guiana, Guyana, the Netherlands, England, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Serbia, Switzerland, Suriname, Türkiye, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Latin America
Most PCC members operating abroad are still concentrated in Latin America and South America. Paraguay, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Uruguay have the highest numbers of members and are considered key territories for the organization’s drug and arms trafficking logistics due to their extensive borders with Brazil and their status as producers or transit points for cocaine, which is the primary export product to Europe. The PCC’s long-term presence in these neighboring countries has been known for some time. One example of its influence was seen in 2019, when a prison riot led by PCC members in San Pedro, Paraguay, resulted in ten deaths and twelve injuries.
40,000 Members
Almost thirty years after its founding, the PCC is estimated to have nearly 40,000 members and to generate approximately R$1 billion per year, primarily through international cocaine trafficking. Within Brazil, the organization is known to operate in the prison systems of 24 states — except for Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul — according to a report from the National Secretariat for Penal Policies (Senappen).
Portugal
Due to its strong historical ties with Brazil, Portugal ranks fifth in the number of PCC operatives and is the country in Europe with the most significant presence of the faction. This has been confirmed by multiple arrests, drug seizures, and ongoing investigations conducted by Portuguese authorities. In recent years, local law enforcement has intercepted members of the group attempting to smuggle cocaine across the Atlantic using submarines and other vessels specially modified for the purpose by criminal organizations.
Italy
Italy is another strategic entry point for cocaine into Europe and has seen increased collaboration between the PCC and Italian mafia organizations. These alliances facilitate the movement of large-scale cocaine shipments from South America to European markets. While Italy hosts fewer PCC operatives or incarcerated members than other countries, it remains a major concern for Brazilian authorities due to its central role in the international narcotics trade and the complexity of dismantling these alliances.
International Cooperation
In early June, the Brazilian government formalized an international cooperation agreement with Interpol, which is currently headed by Brazilian Federal Police Chief Valdecy Urquiza. The accord outlines a plan for joint operations to dismantle transnational criminal networks, support the technological modernization of public security institutions across Latin America, and promote the protection of vulnerable populations following human rights principles.
Analysis:
The expansion of the First Capital Command (PCC) across at least 28 countries represents a significant evolution in the globalization of Brazilian organized crime. Unlike traditional criminal organizations in Europe, the PCC follows a unique model that begins within the prison system and then projects itself outward, creating a decentralized yet highly coordinated transnational network. This modus operandi poses particular challenges to foreign authorities unfamiliar with the prison-based origins and hierarchical codes of Brazilian criminal factions.
European law enforcement agencies, in particular, often lack experience dealing with organizations like the PCC, whose structure is rooted in a combination of loyalty, ideological discourse, and operational discipline cultivated behind bars. Without this understanding, authorities risk underestimating the group’s capacity to infiltrate institutions, forge international alliances — such as those seen in Italy — and exploit gaps in border control and judicial cooperation.
Moreover, as Marcelle Figueira of the Observatory of Public Security and Citizenship in Latin America (OSPC) points out, the fragmentation of cooperation not only between countries but also within Brazil itself — among its state institutions — continues to weaken efforts against organized crime. A coordinated response involving intelligence-sharing, legal harmonization and joint operations is urgently needed.
