Particle.news
Download on the App Store

At Least 60 Killed in Rio’s Largest Raid Targeting Red Command

Officials reported traffickers using weaponized drones, with casualty figures still being updated.

Overview

  • Roughly 2,500 civil and military police launched Operation Containment across the Alemão and Penha favela complexes to serve about 250 warrants.
  • Reports put the death toll between 60 and 64, including four police officers, with authorities warning the numbers could rise as the operation continued.
  • Authorities reported 56 to 81 arrests and the seizure of at least 42 rifles along with large quantities of drugs.
  • Gun battles and barricades disrupted dozens of schools and health facilities and forced bus route changes near Rio’s international airport.
  • The state government billed the action as the largest ever against the Comando Vermelho, drawing immediate demands for explanations from human-rights bodies and lawmakers.