US Sanctions Brazilians Tied to Terror-Designated PCC Money Laundering
US Treasury sanctions two Brazilians and companies linked to PCC's money laundering.
Why it matters: This move highlights US enforcement efforts against global money laundering by criminal and terrorist organizations operating through international financial systems.
- Sanctions imposed July 1, 2026, by US Treasury's OFAC on two Brazilians and four companies connected to PCC.
- Individuals sanctioned: Victor Henrique de Oliveira Shimada and Stella Stefanie Nunes Henrique de Oliveira.
- PCC designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization in June 2026 by US State Department.
- PCC laundered $190 million over seven months using a trade-based scheme involving Chinese electronics distribution and e-commerce.
On July 1, 2026, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two Brazilian nationals and four companies — three Brazilian and one Portuguese — for their involvement with Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), the largest criminal organization in the Western Hemisphere.
The individuals targeted are Victor Henrique de Oliveira Shimada and Stella Stefanie Nunes Henrique de Oliveira. The sanctioned companies have not been detailed publicly but are linked to these individuals and PCC's operations.
Earlier, in May 2026, the US Department of State designated PCC and Comando Vermelho as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), effective June 5, 2026, reflecting growing US concern about the groups' expanded illicit activities beyond Brazil, including in the US. The FTO announcement emphasized these organizations' threat to national security.
OFAC's sanction announcement highlighted that PCC has engaged in a sophisticated money laundering operation that moved approximately $190 million over seven months through a trade-based scheme using a Chinese electronics distributor and an e-commerce platform based in China.
"This designation is another step by the United States government to address and acknowledge the increasing presence of Primeiro Comando da Capital's illicit revenue generation within our borders," said Gene Lange, Performing the duties of the Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
PCC operates transnationally with networks in the United Kingdom, Turkey, and Japan, showing its extensive reach. These sanctions aim to disrupt the financial channels enabling PCC's criminal and terrorist activities.
By the numbers:
- $190 million — laundered by PCC over seven months via trade-based schemes
- July 1, 2026 — date US Treasury sanctioned individuals and companies linked to PCC
- June 5, 2026 — effective date of PCC's designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization