Comando Vermelho expands presence in Portugal: André Ventura warns of territory marking by Brazilian gang

• Comando Vermelho expands presence in Portugal: André Ventura warns of territory marking by Brazilian gang Lisbon,  – The leader of the Chega party, André Ventura, issued a serious warning about the expansion of Comando Vermelho in Portugal. According to Ventura, the Brazilian criminal faction — one of the most violent in the world — is already actively marking territories with the initials “CV” in several neighborhoods across the country.

• Ventura released images of graffiti in residential areas and stated that the group uses the ports of Sines, Lisbon, and Leixões as the main entry points for large shipments of cocaine from South America. The accusation gains even more relevance after the arrest, at the end of 2025, of Valter Lima Zago, known as “Hulk,” one of the main leaders of the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC). Zago was hiding in Portugal and was wanted internationally for money laundering and drug trafficking. Another high-ranking figure in the PCC, André de Oliveira Macedo (“André do Rap”), also allegedly used Portugal as a refuge to coordinate international operations.

•  Ventura directly blamed the PS and PSD governments, which alternated in power for years. “Years of open borders, weak security policies and uncontrolled immigration have allowed these criminal organizations to establish themselves in our country,” he stated. Portuguese authorities have recorded a worrying increase in crimes linked to Brazilian factions, especially drug trafficking, extortion and money laundering.

• To date, the government has not yet issued an official response to Ventura's allegations. The case reignites the debate about internal security, border control and the risks of transnational crime in Portugal.

  

Photo: Viségrad 24