The Rio de Janeiro state government was not only approaching the Donald Trump administration to request the inclusion of the Comando Vermelho (CV) on US sanctions lists and its designation as a terrorist group or transnational organization. Secretary of Public Security, Federal Police Delegate, Victor dos Santos, told the Segredos do Crime blog that he was in Italy with General Michele Carbone, director of the Directorate of Anti-Mafia Investigations (DIA) – the Italian agency responsible for combating money laundering by the mafia and organized crime.
In lectures and interviews, Santos has advocated the “follow the money” principle, with the aim of attacking criminal factions through loss of assets and reduced profits. According to him, there are indications of links between the CV organization and the ‘Ndrangheta mafia in Calabria. In 2021, the Federal Police arrested a member of this mafia group in the state of Paraíba. Investigations have shown that there are links between the ‘Ndrangheta and the Chinese Communist Party.
_The American puts the criminal’s name on their list and spreads the news. We want Comando Vermelho to enter this list of restrictions, just like the PCC, which is already on it. By recognizing CV as an international organization, its name goes first to the list of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), an agency of the US Department of the Treasury. It’s the same thing regarding Italy: they enter names into the Europol list, into the Siena system, which brings together international criminals operating in Europe. The idea is that we can consult the system and feed it our data. “When you enter Italy, you practically enter Europe as a whole,” the minister explained.
The Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate annually kidnaps thousands of companies, property and other assets from criminal organizations. According to the minister, regional dominance is what allows the factions to enrich themselves and obtain profits.
_We need to exchange experiences with intelligence services and obtain the necessary materials and equipment for tracking. We can bring in foreign experts to train our police officers – or send our own experts there. When we discovered the existence of the ‘Ndrangheta, we went to Italy to exchange data. We signed a technical cooperation agreement with DIA. General Carbone, the agency’s director, welcomed us to do just that: enhance information sharing. “Both countries benefit from this joint effort,” Santos concluded.
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