At least 64 killed in Rio as police launch largest-ever raids on drug gangs

Bodies piled up in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas on Tuesday after police carried out the largest operation in the city’s history against drug traffickers, leaving at least 64 people dead in what witnesses described as scenes of war.

More than 2,500 heavily armed officers, supported by armored vehicles, helicopters, and drones, stormed the Complexo da Penha and Complexo do Alemão neighborhoods in northern Rio, targeting the powerful Comando Vermelho (Red Command) gang.

Gunfire erupted near Rio’s international airport, while smoke rose from fires across the area as terrified residents sought cover. Shops shut down, and major roads were paralyzed.

Governor Cláudio Castro said the goal was to stop the gang’s expansion and called the operation “the largest in the state’s history.” He reported that 60 suspected gang members were killed, while four police officers also died.
“This is the first time we’ve seen drones from criminals dropping bombs in the community,” a resident of Penha told AFP, describing the chaos. “Everyone is terrified because there’s so much gunfire.”

AFP journalists saw about 20 detained young men sitting barefoot and shirtless on the sidewalk under police guard in Penha’s Vila Cruzeiro area.

The raids halted traffic across Rio, leaving residents stranded. “We’re left without buses, without anything, in this chaos and not knowing what to do,” said Regina Pinheiro, a 70-year-old retiree.

Police deployed two helicopters, 32 armored vehicles, and 12 demolition trucks to dismantle barricades erected by traffickers. Castro later posted a video on X showing what he said was a gang-operated drone dropping an explosive on police.

“This is not ordinary crime but narcoterrorism,” he wrote.
Human rights groups and opposition politicians condemned the scale of the violence. Congressman Henrique Vieira said authorities were treating the favelas as “enemy territory, with a license to shoot and kill.”

The UN Human Rights Office said it was “horrified” by the bloodshed, urging an immediate and impartial investigation. “This deadly operation furthers the trend of extreme lethal consequences of police operations in Brazil’s marginalized communities,” a spokesperson said from Geneva.

Last year, nearly 700 people were killed during police actions in Rio — almost two per day — sparking renewed debate over the effectiveness and brutality of Brazil’s security tactics.

Dani Monteiro, head of the Rio State Legislative Assembly’s Human Rights Commission, said her committee would demand explanations for “an action that has once again transformed Rio’s favelas into a theater of war and barbarism.”