In a statement, Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security has refuted allegations made by the US president that there are failures or omissions in the fight against transnational organized crime.

Donald Trump criticized the Brazilian government for, in his view, failing to confront Brazilian criminal organizations Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV). The statement appears in an annual report sent to the US Congress, dated Tuesday (Sep. 15).

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In it, the US leader lists countries considered significant in the trafficking or production of illicit drugs for fiscal year 2027, in addition to presenting individual assessments of various governments.

According to the Brazilian government, the position set forth in Trump’s document “would, if accepted in its entirety, disregard the federal government’s efforts to combat organized crime, such as the Anti-Gang Law, enacted in March 2026, which provides for harsher penalties for ring leaders and creates mechanisms to stifle their operations.”

Trump also stated that while many governments in the Western Hemisphere have adopted bold measures to reduce drug flows and eradicate cartels, the Brazilian government has failed to confront the foreign terrorist organizations known as Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho, which have turned Brazil into a hub for global cocaine flows.

These Brazilian terrorist organizations, Trump went on to argue, pose a growing threat to peace and security around the world, and the Brazilian government urgently needs to take aggressive measures to confront and defeat them before they spread and grow.

The Brazilian ministry further argues that the US president’s statement also fails to take into account “the tens of thousands of operations” carried out by federal forces to combat crime, “resulting in billions of reais in losses to criminals, as well as the numerous actions implemented in 2026 under the Brazil Against Organized Crime Program, launched last May, which economically strangles criminal factions, strengthens the prison system, improves homicide investigations, and combats arms trafficking.”

Cooperation

According to the Brazilian government’s statement, the US statement also disregards the “robust cooperation that already exists” between Brazil and the US in the fight against transnational organized crime.

Furthermore, “it is worth highlighting the proposal delivered in person by President Lula on May 7, 2026, in Washington, which details joint measures to combat money laundering, share intelligence, and combat arms trafficking. To date, Brazil is awaiting a possible response from the US government.”

Compliance

The statement from the Ministry of Justice notes that Brazil is not described in Trump’s document as a country that has “demonstrably failed” to comply with its international obligations to combat drugs based on US laws. This designation was applied to Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela.

Furthermore, Brazil does not appear on the list of major transit or production countries for illicit drugs. Those countries are Afghanistan, the Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

Brazil on Monday (Aug. 31) reiterated its dissatisfaction with the tariffs imposed by the United States and stated that Washington’s measures are discriminatory and incompatible with international trade rules.

This position was presented by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services Márcio Elias Rosa during a virtual meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

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In a joint statement, the ministries deemed the treatment of Brazil unfair and said that the justifications presented in the US investigations do not reflect actual Brazilian practices.

“Once again, [Ministers Mauro Vieira and Márcio Elias Rosa] pointed out that the justifications presented by the US government in the conclusions of the investigations conducted under Section 301 of the US Trade Act do not reflect actual Brazilian practices, and that the discriminatory treatment imposed on Brazil is unfair,” the two ministries emphasized in a joint statement.

Dialogue continues

Despite their differences, the two countries decided to continue negotiations. Technical meetings will be held in the coming weeks, either virtually or in person, followed by another ministerial meeting to assess progress.

The Brazilian government stated that it will continue to seek “a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement” with the United States, based on dialogue and respect for national sovereignty.

The resumption of talks follows a phone call between Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Donald Trump on August 21. During the call, Lula once again contested the tariffs, and Trump proposed resuming negotiations.

Brazil is subject to an additional 25 percent tariff imposed specifically by the US government and another 12.5 percent surcharge, which Washington justified on grounds related to combating forced labor.

The first measure was based on an investigation by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), which pointed to alleged unfair trade practices by Brazil in areas such as electronic payments (Pix) and access to the ethanol market. The Brazilian government rejects these arguments and considers the measure unjustified.

The dispute is also unfolding amid growing economic competition between the United States and China for influence in Latin America, adding a geopolitical dimension to the negotiations between Brasília and Washington.