Law Enforcement deployment in Rio favelas results in at least 64 killed
Governor Castro admitted that the number of casualties and detainees could rise
A massive police operation targeting the Comando Vermelho (CV) drug gang in the densely populated Penha and Alemão favela complexes on Tuesday has resulted in at least 64 deaths, making it the deadliest police action in Rio de Janeiro’s history.
The death toll includes 60 suspected criminals and four police officers—two from the Civil Police and two from the elite BOPE unit. Two other men were detained at Penha Hospital with gunshot wounds.
The operation, dubbed Operation Containment, mobilized approximately 2,500 Civil and Military Police officers in the city’s North Zone. Gunfire echoed through the communities throughout the morning as security forces executed arrest warrants against approximately 100 CV members, including around 30 suspects believed to be from other states, notably Pará and Bahia.
Rio de Janeiro State Governor Claudio Castro confirmed the staggering casualty figures and described the ongoing operation as the largest ever conducted against the Comando Vermelho, one of Brazil’s most active and powerful criminal organizations alongside the First Capital Command (PCC).
Governor Castro provided reporters with video evidence showing that criminals were actively resisting the police advance using armed drones to bombard officers in parts of the favelas.
The police action is part of a state government initiative to combat the territorial expansion of the CV gang. According to government sources, the criminals’ violent response was in retaliation for police activity in the region.
The authorities arrested 81 people as of early afternoon, seizing some 50 firearms, including 31 rifles for the exclusive use of the Armed Forces, 10 rifles, one pistol, nine motorcycles, and three cell phones.
The total of 64 deaths largely surpasses the previous record set in May 2021, when an operation in the Jacarezinho favela resulted in 28 fatalities.
The police operation in the Penha and Alemão complexes, which together comprise 26 communities, began early Tuesday morning. Despite the heavy police presence, CV members attempted to prevent the entry of security forces by setting up barricades. One BOPE officer was reportedly grazed by a bullet in the leg during a raid in the forest area of Complexo do Alemão.
Governor Castro stressed that the figures released were preliminary as the operation was still ongoing, suggesting that both the number of victims and detainees may continue to rise.
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