At least 60 people killed in Rio de Janeiro’s ‘largest-ever’ anti-drug operation

BOGOTA, Colombia

A massive police operation against drug trafficking in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro—said to be the largest in the state’s history—resulted in the deaths of at least 60 people, including four police officers and suspected criminals on Tuesday, according to the state’s governor, Claudio Castro.

Authorities deployed 2,500 police officers for the mega-operation, which aimed to “combat the territorial expansion” of the Comando Vermelho criminal group. Castro said security forces faced heavy resistance, including gunfire and even grenades launched from drones.

The ongoing operation has so far yielded at least 81 arrests and the seizure of 42 rifles, according to a fourth report released by the state government on Tuesday. Law enforcement teams, traveling in 32 armored vehicles, entered the Alemao and da Penha complexes, two areas in the city’s north, in the early morning hours.

Governor Castro, a political ally of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, confirmed that police also seized “a large quantity of drugs” there.

“Despite the attacks, security forces remain steadfast in the fight against crime,” Governor Castro emphasized. “This is the magnitude of the challenge we face; it is no longer common crime, it is narco-terrorism.”

He also advised residents of the affected neighborhoods to stay inside their homes while the operation continues.

The state legislature said “more than 200,000 residents continue to be affected by closed schools, diverted buses, and health units with suspended services.”

The governor also shared a video on X showing a drone launching a projectile.

“This is how Rio de Janeiro police are greeted by criminals: with bombs launched by drones.”

Castro claimed the current action “is larger than the one in 2010,” a previous major deployment that saw police and military forces retake control of the same area after clashes that left about 30 people dead.

The operation occurs despite the Brazilian federal government, under President Luis Inacio Lula, having rejected a proposal from the IS in May to classify the Comando Vermelho as terrorist organizations. Brazil’s official argument was that these factions do not qualify as terrorists under national law.

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