A significant narcotics operation targeting the Comando Vermelho, or Red Command, crime syndicate in Rio de Janeiro resulted in 81 arrests, 60 deceased suspects, and the deaths of four police officers, according to Rio Governor Claudio Castro on Tuesday.
“We stand firm confronting narcoterrorism,” Castro stated on social media while announcing the operation.
He noted that 2,500 security personnel were deployed across the impoverished and densely populated Alemao and Penha favela complexes located on the outskirts of the Brazilian city, near the international airport.
“Regrettably, police officers were also among the dead,” Castro remarked during a press conference later in the day.
State police reported that one of the suspects arrested was the “right-hand man” of “one of the leaders” of Comando Vermelho.
The UN human rights office expressed its horror on Tuesday regarding the ongoing police operation in Rio de Janeiro.
“This deadly operation furthers the trend of extreme lethal consequences of police operations in Brazil’s marginalized communities,” the UN human rights office posted on X.
The operation, dubbed Operation Containment by authorities, occurred just days before two major events in the city leading up to the COP30 global climate summit, which is set to begin on November 10 in Belem, located far to the north of Rio.
Rio, Brazil’s second most populous city, will host two preparatory events next week: the C40 summit, which will gather mayors from over 100 of the world’s major cities, and the Earthshot Prize ceremony, presented by British heir to the throne Prince William, which honors five winners each year for their contributions to environmentalism.
This ceremony will feature celebrities, including pop singer Kylie Minogue and four-time German F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel.
Rio has previously experienced large-scale and often heavy-handed police operations targeting crime-ridden poorer areas ahead of international events, with similar raids conducted before the 2014 World Cup, the 2016 Olympics, last year’s G20 summit, and the BRICS summit earlier this year.
In February 2018, the government placed military police in charge of security in the city, citing a deteriorating situation.
Earlier this month, the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Mayor Castro to veto a new bill passed in the state legislature that would provide police officers with substantial bonuses for “neutralizing” suspects, warning that it could lead to an increase in police killings.
“Providing bonuses to police for killings is not only outright brutal but also undermines public security by creating a financial incentive for officers to shoot rather than arrest suspects,” stated Cesar Munoz, Brazil director at HRW.
Authorities indicated they were aiming to execute 250 search and arrest warrants, deploying two helicopters, 32 armored vehicles, and 12 “demolition vehicles” to dismantle barricades erected by traffickers.
The Rio government characterized this operation as the largest ever targeting Comando Vermelho. Castro shared a video on social media showing what he described as a drone launching a projectile, emphasizing the dangers faced by law enforcement.
“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 narcoterrorism,” he asserted.
