‘Narco-terrorism’ raid leaves at least 64 dead in Rio’s deadliest-ever police operation

Rio de Janeiro: At least 64 people have been killed in Rio de Janeiro’s most deadly police operation ever, which targeted a major gang days before the city hosts events related to the United Nations COP30 climate summit.

Rio de Janeiro State Governor Cláudio Castro told reporters the death toll, which included four police officers, may rise as the operation was ongoing. Authorities said 81 people were arrested, and 42 rifles were seized during the operation.

The aftermath of the police operation in the Complexo de Alemao favela in Rio.Credit: AP

Castro said the death toll was more than twice Rio’s most deadly previous police operation.

“We stand firm confronting narco-terrorism,” Castro wrote on social media. He said the operation involved 2500 security personnel across the Alemao and Penha favela complexes, near the city’s international airport.

The state government said criminals had used drones to attack police in the Penha complex, sharing a video on X of what appeared to be a drone firing a projectile from the sky.

Police have often conducted large-scale operations against criminal groups ahead of major events in Rio, which hosted the 2016 Olympics, the 2024 G20 summit and the BRICS summit in July.

Police walk past a burned car used as a roadblock in the Complexo do Alemao favela. Credit: AP

Next week, Rio hosts the C40 global summit of mayors tackling climate change and Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, which will feature celebrities including pop star Kylie Minogue and four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel.

The programming is part of the run-up to COP30, the United Nations climate summit held in the Amazon city of Belem from November 10 – 21.

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Rio’s favelas are poor, densely populated settlements woven through the city’s hilly oceanside terrain.

Smoke rose early on Tuesday, local time, over the iconic skyline as gangs burnt cars to slow the advance of armoured vehicles while bursts of gunfire rang out.

After the most intense fighting subsided, a Reuters journalist saw police from a special operations unit rounding up dozens of shirtless men. Sobbing family members gathered outside a public hospital, attending to those injured.

Tuesday’s operation was described by the state government as the largest ever targeting the Comando Vermelho gang. Castro said authorities sought to serve 250 arrest and search warrants.

The clashes disrupted the routines of dozens of schools and medical facilities, redirected bus routes and snarled traffic across several neighbourhoods in the state capital.

Reuters, AP

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