The announcement came two days after Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (Liberal Party, Rio de Janeiro), a presidential hopeful, visited U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.. After leaving the meeting, Flávio said he had urged the U.S. government to classify the factions as foreign terrorist organizations. Shortly after the statement was released, the senator noted the decision on social media and wrote: “Great day,” the same expression used by his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro (Liberal Party).

The measure follows Trump’s earlier designation of several criminal groups from Mexico and other countries as terrorist organizations.

The Brazilian government is concerned about the move. It fears the designation could open the door to U.S. interference on Brazilian soil.

Celso Amorim, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s special adviser for international affairs, told G1 on Thursday night that organized crime must be fought, but security is a national matter: “Public security is a fundamental issue for socioeconomic development. Organized crime is an evil that must be fought. International cooperation is welcome, especially on issues such as money laundering and arms smuggling. A pretext for intervention is unacceptable,” Amorim said.

President Lula visited the White House earlier this month in an effort to prevent what Brazil sees as a counterproductive measure that would pose risks both to its financial system and to its sovereignty. Instead, the Brazilian president sought to persuade Trump to deepen U.S. cooperation with his government’s efforts to fight groups such as the PCC, targeting money-laundering operations and smuggling networks.

‘Regional threat’

In the statement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the PCC and CV are two of Brazil’s most violent organizations and that, together, they “command thousands of members and orchestrate brutal attacks” against civilians, police officers, and authorities. “Their influence and illicit networks extend far beyond Brazil’s borders, across our region and into our country,” the statement said.

Rubio said the Trump administration will use all available tools to safeguard U.S. security interests and disrupt “the revenue streams funding violent narco-terrorists.” “Today’s action taken by the State Department further demonstrates the Trump Administration’s unwavering commitment to dismantling cartels and criminal organizations in our region and ensuring the safety of the American people. ”

The U.S. measure is also expected to create uncertainty across the financial and economic system as banks and other companies seek to understand its implications. Last year, the U.S. targeted three Mexican banks over possible money laundering tied to drug trafficking, effectively cutting them off from the U.S. financial system. In recent years, Brazilian authorities have said they found evidence that the PCC launders money through fintechs.