organizations

Nov. 19 (UPI) — Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott has designated two Muslim groups, including the United States’ largest, on accusations of being terrorist organizations.

The proclamation from Abbott, a Republican and President Donald Trump ally, designates the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations.

The designation puts both organizations and their members under “heightened enforcement” while prohibiting them from purchasing or acquiring land in the Lone Star State.

Abbott blacklisted them by claiming they want to “forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam’s ‘mastership of the world.'” No proof of either claim was provided.

“These radical extremists are not welcome in our state and are now prohibited from acquiring any real property interest in Texas,” Abbott said in a statement.

CAIR, the United States’ largest Muslim advocacy group, was founded in 1994 with the mission to promote justice, protect civil rights and empower American Muslims. CAIR condemns all acts of terrorism by any group designated by the United States as a terrorism organization, including Hamas.

The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in the 1920s, renounced violence in the 1970s and now provides a mixture of religious teaching with political activism and social support, such as operating pharmacies, hospitals and schools, according the Council on Foreign Relations.

CAIR said its Texas chapter will continue its civil rights work and that its lawyers are considering legal action, calling Abbott’s designation “defamatory and lawless.”

In response, CAIR sent Abbott a letter refuting his accusations while accusing his office of spending months “stoking anti-Muslim hysteria” to smear those critical of Israel over its war in Gaza.

“Unlike your office, which has unleashed violence against Texas students protesting the Gaza genocide to satisfy you AIPAC donors, our civil rights organization answers to the American people, relies on support form the American people and stands up for American values,” Robert McCaw, director of government affairs at CAIR, said in the letter.

State Rep. Ron Reynolds, a Democrat, chastised Abbott’s designation as “discriminatory, dangerous and an attack on Muslim families.”

“I will not stay silent while innocent Texans are targeted,” he said in a statement. “This is the moment to stand up, speak our and make good trouble.”

Oct. 31 (UPI) — Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has signed a decree designating Brazil’s criminal groups Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital, or PCC, as terrorist organizations “because of their actions that threaten Paraguay’s national sovereignty and institutional stability.”

The decree says the designation aligns with a state policy reaffirming the country’s commitment to democracy, the rule of law and national sovereignty. It also allows for tougher penalties and strengthens international cooperation on security and extradition.

“For us, there is no doubt that these are criminal groups seeking to destabilize countries, and we must confront them,” Peña said on TV Paraguay.

The move follows a major operation by Brazil’s state police targeting organized crime in two Rio de Janeiro favelas, which left more than 120 people dead, many of them believed to be members of Comando Vermelho. Brazilian authorities described it as one of the deadliest anti-crime operations in recent years.

In response, Paraguay’s National Defense Council ordered the highest level of alert along the entire border with Brazil and instructed the armed forces, National Police and Migration Directorate to increase personnel and resources to bolster national security.

Authorities also announced coordination with security forces from Brazil and Argentina to conduct joint patrols and surveillance operations at border crossings and transit zones to prevent members of those criminal groups from entering the country.

Interior Minister Enrique Riera said the operational plan is underway, prioritizing intelligence work, drone-based aerial surveillance and coordination between military and police units.

The plan also calls for intensifying efforts against smuggling and organized crime, especially at the end of the year.

Riera added that security will be reinforced at prisons housing members of these criminal organizations.

According to Paraguayan media, both criminal organizations have a strong presence along the Paraguay-Brazil border, where they operate networks involved in drug and arms trafficking and money laundering.

The PCC has been operating in Paraguay for more than a decade, with a history of prison riots and executions, while Comando Vermelho has also expanded its influence in recent years, particularly in the country’s northern region, the Paraguayan newspaper ABC reported.