Trump administration says PCC uses American financial system to launder money

USA sanctions two people and three Brazilian companies for alleged links with the PCC
The US government's sanction against two Brazilians and three companies from the country this Wednesday (1st) is a response to the threat that the First Capital Command (PCC) offers to the United States, according to the document published by the Treasury Department. The note states that the faction has operations in Florida, ranging from money laundering to drug distribution.
One of the targets is Victor Henrique de Oliveira Shimada, accused of being the main link between the PCC and international drug traffickers. From São Paulo, he and his organization laundered more than US$30 million in illicit funds generated in several cities in and around the United States, using cryptocurrencies to transfer the funds back to Brazil on behalf of the faction.
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According to the US Treasury, the PCC is considered one of the largest transnational criminal organizations, operating in countries such as Japan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
"Networks like the one targeted by the action engage in drug trafficking, smuggling large amounts of cash for cartels and other illicit activities designed to generate revenue for the PCC", the document states.
On May 29, the US Department of State classified the PCC and the Red Command (CV) as terrorist organizations, contrary to requests from the federal government. The determination, which came into effect on June 5, opens space for harsher and unilateral actions by the United States, such as sanctions against Brazilian citizens and companies and, as a last resort, direct intervention in the national territory.
The operation is coordinated by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), with the participation of the FBI office in Miami and the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Confiscation Section of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), in addition to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
International operation
According to the statement, the network for concealing the origin of illicit goods operated from two centers, Florida and São Paulo. A company linked to Shimada was used to launder money diverted from a Brazilian football club in an advertising fraud scheme.
The other companies he owned were used to receive illicit funds from the United States and hide the origin of the money, previously in circulation in Brazil, according to the investigation.
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The other person sanctioned, Stella Stefanie de Oliveira, is identified as a relative and collaborator of Shimada. She would have helped with the logistics of the operation and intermediated the movement of large amounts of money.
Shimada was charged by the Public Ministry of São Paulo in July 2025 for money laundering in connection with the VaideBet scandal, former sponsor of Corinthians. The US cited that Victory Trading, of which Shimada is a partner, was used to launder money diverted from the Brazilian football club, but did not mention the name of the black and white team in the statement.
This is OFAC's third action against the PCC. The faction was sanctioned for the first time in 2021 for involvement in international drug trafficking. In 2024, the agency also punished Diego Macedo Gonçalves do Carmo, accused of laundering money for the criminal organization.
US President Donald Trump speaks to journalists in Paris, on June 17, 2026.
Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein

Source: G1