RT Article T1 Brazilian criminal organizations as transnational violent non-state actors: a case study of the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) JF Trends in organized crime VO 22 IS 2 SP 148 OP 165 A1 Ferreira, Marcos Alan S. V. LA English UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1819643875 AB This article aims to analyze the evolution of Brazilian criminal organization Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC—First Command of the Capital), especially its transformation from a group advocating human rights to a transnational violent non-state actor. Created in the late 1990s by inmates at Taubate Prison, PCC is currently a key trigger of violence in South America. Since a massive attack performed in 2006 against security forces, the group continues to be highly operative, also coordinating drugs and arms smuggling in Brazil and abroad. A combination of sources supported this analysis of PCC’s evolution, mainly Brazilian official judicial minutes, NGOs reports, and news released from reputable sources. The article shows that PCC has gained strength in the 2010s, expanding illicit business operations in cooperation with other criminal groups. The results suggest that PCC’s expansion has changed significantly since their beginnings, into an actor that poses a challenge for the building of peaceful society in all of South America. NO Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 162-165 K1 Violent non-state actors K1 Organized Crime K1 Primeiro Comando da Capital K1 Brazil K1 Violence K1 Public security DO 10.1007/s12117-018-9354-7