Additional Coverage:
- Over 100 killed in Brazil’s deadliest police raid as Rio authorities battle drug gangs in favelas (foxnews.com)
Rio de Janeiro Sees Deadliest Police Operation in City’s History, Over 130 Killed
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – A massive police operation in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday resulted in the deaths of at least 132 individuals, including four law enforcement officers, marking it as the deadliest raid in the city’s history. The large-scale offensive targeted drug gangs operating within the city’s favelas, impoverished neighborhoods long grappling with organized crime.
Authorities stated the primary objective of the operation was to dismantle the powerful Comando Vermelho, or “Red Command” organization, which controls vast areas of the city. The raid, reportedly planned for over two months following a year-long investigation, involved approximately 2,500 security forces agents.
While the local public defender’s office announced the death toll of 132, Rio state Governor Cláudio Castro cautioned that forensic work was still in progress. He stated that the official number he had received was 58 deceased, but acknowledged it was “certain to change.”
Governor Castro defended the operation, noting that much of the conflict occurred in wooded areas. “To be quite honest with you, the conflict wasn’t in a built-up area – it was all in the woods,” Castro said.
“So I don’t believe anyone was just strolling in the woods on a day of conflict. And that’s why we can easily classify them.”
Authorities also reported that gang members allegedly employed drones to drop explosives on police officers during the unfolding operation. “This is how the Rio police are treated by criminals: with bombs dropped by drones.
This is the scale of the challenge we face. This is not ordinary crime, but narco-terrorism,” Governor Castro asserted.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his shock regarding the high number of fatalities and indicated surprise that the federal government had not been informed about the raid in advance.
On Wednesday, Governor Castro’s office released updated figures, stating that 113 people had been arrested, 10 teenagers detained, and authorities seized 91 rifles, 29 pistols, 14 explosive devices, and one ton of cocaine.
The governor also paid tribute to the four officers who lost their lives in the line of duty: Commissioner Marcus Vinícius Cardoso de Carvalho, from the 53rd Police Station; Rodrigo Velloso Cabral, from the 39th Police Station; and Sergeants Cleiton Serafim Gonçalves and Heber Carvalho da Fonseca, both from BOPE (Special Police Operations Battalion).
This deadly operation has reignited intense debate in Brazil concerning police tactics, human rights, and the government’s ongoing struggle to control the powerful criminal organizations deeply embedded in Rio’s vulnerable communities.