Overview
- Police and members of Comando Vermelho, a major Brazilian crime group, exchanged gunfire near the Vidigal favela, trapping more than 200 people on the Morro Dois Irmaos viewpoint for about two hours.
- Police reported no injuries from the operation and said they detained three suspects linked to the clash.
- Visitors were back at the hilltop at dawn the next morning, with several tourists saying they still felt safe making the hike.
- Local reporting said authorities were seeking alleged gang figure Ednaldo Perenier Souza, known as Dada, who allegedly slipped away from a raid as officers arrested three of his purported lieutenants.
- Rio welcomed a record 2.1 million international visitors in 2025, and this episode follows a widely criticized October 28 police operation that left more than 120 people dead in northern favelas, underscoring persistent tension between policing and public safety.