The Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), commonly known by its initials PCC, is a Brazilian organized crime group that emerged inside the prison system of São Paulo in 1993. Over the decades, authorities and researchers have documented the organization’s expansion beyond the state and its connections to criminal networks operating across South America.
According to Brazil’s National Risk Assessment, published by the Council for Financial Activities Control (COAF), the PCC operates in an organized manner and has developed transnational connections, including links involving countries such as Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina and Uruguay. Brazilian authorities have identified drug trafficking and weapons trafficking among activities associated with the organization. Serviços e Informações do Brasil
From prison group to transnational organization
The PCC was established in 1993 at the Taubaté prison complex in São Paulo. Research published by the Brazilian Federal Police describes the organization as having been founded by eight prisoners and traces its early development to the prison environment. Periódicos da ANP
Its influence became increasingly visible during the following decade. In 2001, prisoners associated with the organization coordinated simultaneous rebellions across dozens of correctional facilities in São Paulo. In 2006, another major wave of coordinated violence and prison rebellions demonstrated the group's ability to organize actions across different locations. Departamento de Justiça
The organization subsequently expanded its reach beyond Brazil's prison system. A Brazilian government risk assessment describes the PCC as having an international presence and identifies concerns surrounding its efforts to establish trafficking routes and access strategic transportation infrastructure. Serviços e Informações do Brasil
Criminal investigations and international connections
Drug trafficking has been identified by Brazilian authorities as one of the organization's principal sources of illicit revenue. Investigations have also examined alleged links to weapons trafficking, money laundering and other criminal activities.
The PCC's international dimension has also attracted attention from authorities outside Brazil. In March 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice described the PCC as a major Brazilian and Latin American transnational criminal organization in connection with a federal investigation in Massachusetts. Departamento de Justiça
More recently, in September 2026, U.S. prosecutors announced that a Brazilian national identified by investigators as a PCC "general" had pleaded guilty to federal drug-trafficking and firearms charges. The case illustrates how investigations involving individuals allegedly connected to the organization can extend beyond Brazilian territory. Departamento de Justiça
Brazilian authorities have also continued investigating alleged financial structures connected to the group. In 2025, authorities in Piauí reported an investigation involving companies allegedly connected to a financial network associated with the PCC. The investigation remained subject to legal proceedings and allegations should not be treated as convictions unless established by a court. SSP PI
A continuing challenge for authorities
The PCC's development from a prison-based organization into a network with national and international connections has made it a significant subject of organized-crime investigations in Brazil.
Official assessments emphasize that the organization has demonstrated considerable resilience, including the ability to maintain operations despite the imprisonment or arrest of individual leaders. Authorities continue to focus on disrupting its financial structures, trafficking networks and international connections. Serviços e Informações do Brasil
The history of the Primeiro Comando da Capital therefore reflects a broader transformation in organized crime in Brazil: criminal groups that originated inside prisons have developed increasingly complex structures extending across state and national borders.
Sources
- Brazilian Council for Financial Activities Control — National Risk Assessment
- Brazilian Federal Police — Revista Brasileira de Ciências Policiais
- U.S. Department of Justice — PCC-related federal investigation
- U.S. Department of Justice — 2026 federal case
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