Washington's recent decision to declare Brazil's largest criminal gangs as terrorist organizations poses an unprecedented risk of direct US military intervention in Brazil, the latter’s foreign minister, Mauro Vieira, said.

"[The decision by US authorities] poses serious risks for Brazilian citizens in the financial and migration sectors. Finally, the possibility of the United States using military force in Brazilian territory has arisen," the Brazilian foreign minister said in response to a question about national security threats during a hearing in the Chamber of Deputies of the Brazilian congress, CNN Brasil reports.

Sources in the Brazilian foreign ministry believe that Washington's radical move to put the criminal groups Comando Vermelho (CV, "Red Team") and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC, "First Capital Team") on the list of "international terrorist organizations" will not provide advantages in the joint fight against organized crime.