64 dead in Rio’s largest police raid

International

AT LEAST 64 people were killed, including four police officers, in what officials described as the largest police raid in Rio de Janeiro’s history — a sweeping crackdown on the powerful Comando Vermelho criminal organization that has left Brazil and the international community reeling.

According to a report by CNN, the massive operation unfolded Tuesday across several neighborhoods in northern Rio, including the embattled Alemão and Penha favelas, where witnesses reported hours of gunfire and columns of black smoke rising from burning barricades.

Videos published by Reuters showed scenes reminiscent of a war zone, with armored vehicles advancing through narrow streets as residents sheltered indoors.

In the report, Governor Cláudio Castro called the mission “the biggest operation in the history of Rio de Janeiro,” claiming security forces seized at least 42 rifles and a large cache of illegal drugs.

Speaking at a press conference, Castro defended the scale of the raid, saying it was necessary to “combat the territorial expansion of organized crime.”

The operation, according to state officials, had been planned for over a year and involved more than 2,500 police and military personnel.

Authorities said the raid targeted Comando Vermelho, or Red Command — Brazil’s oldest active criminal network.

Once formed by leftist prisoners during the country’s military dictatorship in the 1970s, the group has evolved into a powerful transnational cartel engaged in drug trafficking, extortion, and violent territorial control.

Think tank InSight Crime noted that Red Command has recently faced mounting pressure from both state forces and rival militias, sparking fierce clashes across Rio’s densely populated favelas.

In a startling twist, police officials alleged that gang members used drones to attack security forces during the raid. Videos released by Rio’s government appeared to show drones firing projectiles at officers from above.

“In retaliation, criminals used drones to attack police officers in the Penha Complex,” the state government said in a statement, calling the incident proof of how technologically advanced criminal groups have become.

Despite these assaults, Governor Castro lauded his forces for what he called a “decisive blow” against narco-terrorism — a term he used to describe Rio’s entrenched criminal networks.

“It is no longer common crime,” he said. “It is narco-terrorism.” Castro urged residents of the affected areas to remain indoors while security forces secured the zones.(Xienderlyn Trinidad, USJ-R Comm Intern)