US immigration police say they detained former head of the PCC and CV after persecution

ICE agent during operation in Minneapolis, on January 18, 2026
REUTERS/Seth Herald
The American immigration police (ICE) announced, this Monday (15), the arrest of a former leader of the criminal factions Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV), following a persecution in North Carolina.
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Felipe Linares De Oliveira Dell Aquilla, known as "Don", had an open Interpol search and capture warrant, requested by Brazil on charges of "criminal association" and "extortion", according to an ICE statement.
The fugitive was trying to flee by car to Mexico, when he was intercepted at a traffic control in the city of Mooresville.
Dell Aquilla held his wife hostage in the car, according to authorities.
While trying to escape, Don had an accident and was captured. A gun, cash and cell phones were found in the vehicle, according to the press release.
Terrorist designation
On May 28, the United States designated the PCC and the CV as terrorist organizations, despite opposition from the Brazilian government.
In May 2025, the acting chief of coordination of the United States Department of Sanctions, David Gamble, asked the Brazilian government to classify the PCC and the CV as terrorist organizations. The request was denied.
At the time, the national secretary of Public Security, Mario Sarrubbo, stated that the factions do not fit the definition of terrorism provided for in the Brazilian Constitution.
The Anti-Terrorism Law, sanctioned in Brazil in 2016, defines terrorism as the practice of acts motivated by xenophobia, discrimination or prejudice based on race, color, ethnicity or religion, aiming to provoke social or generalized terror.

Source: G1