At least 64 people, including four police officers, were killed in a massive anti-crime operation in Rio de Janeiro targeting the Comando Vermelho gang. Over 2,500 police personnel took part, seizing 42 rifles and arresting 81 suspects in what officials called one of Brazil’s largest crackdowns
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At least 64 people, including four police officers, were killed in a large-scale security operation targeting organised crime in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday (local time), CNN reported, citing officials.
Authorities said the raid aimed to "combat the territorial expansion", Comando Vermelho (Red Command) criminal group.
According to Rio's state government, the operation had been planned for over a year and involved more than 2,500 military and civilian police personnel. The forces entered several neighbourhoods controlled by the gang in what officials described as one of the biggest anti-crime drives in recent years.
At least 81 people were arrested, and security officials said the number of casualties could rise as the operation continues. Authorities also reported the seizure of at least 42 rifles during the crackdown, CNN reported.
The state government said gang members allegedly used drones to target police in retaliation. "Criminals used drones to attack police officers in the Penha Complex," it said on X, sharing footage that appeared to show a drone firing projectiles. Despite the attacks, officials added that security forces "remain steadfast in the fight against crime."
Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro said in a post, "This is the magnitude of the challenge we face", before using a term popular among tough-on-crime leaders in the United States and Latin America. "It is no longer a common crime; it is narco-terrorism."
Comando Vermelho, founded during Brazil's military dictatorship in the 1970s, is the country's oldest and most influential criminal organisation. Originally formed as a leftist prisoners' group, it has since evolved into a transnational syndicate involved in drug trafficking and extortion, often clashing with rival angs and security forces.
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