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Rio Raid Kills Comando Vermelho Leader, Street Arson Follows

Police report 116 arrests with major drug plus weapon seizures as scrutiny of deadly favela operations intensifies.

Overview

  • Roughly 150 officers with two armored vehicles hunted Claudio Augusto dos Santos, a key Comando Vermelho figure with at least eight outstanding warrants.
  • Dos Santos was killed in a heavy firefight in favelas near Santa Teresa, with authorities confirming at least eight deaths in total.
  • The operation included a hostage standoff in Morro dos Prazeres that left a resident dead while another captive was rescued, and two officers were wounded.
  • Police said they detained 116 people and seized 21 firearms along with 105 kilograms of cocaine and 600 kilograms of marijuana.
  • Suspected gang members set a bus ablaze and blocked roads, disrupting central traffic as Rio faces a recurring pattern of lethal police actions in favelas.