A large-scale police operation on a drug-trafficking gang in Rio de Janeiro has become the deadliest in Brazil’s history, with at least 130 people confirmed dead following raids against the Red Command gang. The clashes erupted during an extensive crackdown in the favelas of Penha and Complexo do Alemão, where security forces launched a coordinated ambush after months of surveillance.
Authorities said that the operation was planned for more than two months and aimed to dismantle a major network of traffickers. Victor Santos, Rio’s state security secretary, stated that the level of casualties had been anticipated but was unwanted. He said any cases of police misconduct would be investigated. Officials confirmed that four police officers had been among the casualties, and more than a hundred suspects were arrested.
Those in Penha have reportedly described a grim aftermath, with residents lining the retrieved bodies on the main street. Some family members have alleged that several victims bore signs of execution or torture, though state officials denied these claims. Rio’s governor, Claudio Castro, defended the operation, insisting that those killed were armed gang members involved in “narcoterrorism”.
The Brazilian government said that the raids were part of a broader strategy aiming to weaken organised crime groups, which have tightened their influence on low-income communities. President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva stressed the need for a unified national effort against drug violence while also warning that public security must not endanger innocent lives.
The United Nations, as well as human rights organisations, have expressed concern over the large-scale violence and called for an independent investigation into the deaths. The UN Human Rights Office said the incident fits a growing pattern of lethal police actions in Brazil’s marginalised areas. Prosecutors must thoroughly examine the events, as Human Rights Watch described them as a tragedy.
Rio’s government declared the operation to be its largest ever, seizing 118 firearms and large quantities of drugs despite the controversy.
Schools and universities in the affected neighbourhoods were temporarily closed as the city grappled with the aftermath of what officials now describe as Brazil’s most violent anti-gang action to date.
