At least 64 dead in a massive police operation against drug trafficking in Rio de Janeiro

BarcelonaA joint operation by Rio de Janeiro state civilian and military forces resulted in at least 64 deaths and the arrest of 81 people on Tuesday. The operation seeks to halt and curb the expansion of the Comando Vermelho (Red Command) drug trafficking group, which operates from areas of Alemao and Penha, favela complexes in Rio de Janeiro's capital that form an urban continuum of this type of construction—in the northeast of the city—between the districts of Bonsucesso and Pensu. In total, it has a combined population of approximately 250,000.

The operation, described by Governor Cláudio Castro as "the largest deployment of security forces in Rio de Janeiro," has mobilized approximately 2,500 officers in an area totaling approximately nine square kilometers. The victims include four police officers, according to local civil police data, and officers and residents were also reported to have sustained gunshot wounds.

The operation is part of a state government initiative to radically combat a criminal group that has been consolidating territory and a large arsenal of weapons. According to authorities, the objective was to execute hundreds of arrest warrants and conduct a massive body search in an environment where the Red Command has intensified "logistical, financial, and territorial control operations."

Not all analysts applaud the strategy. In some quarters, the operation has drawn criticism for the high number of victims and the manner in which it operated. Activists and opposition politicians have called the intervention a "state-sponsored massacre" and warn that the root causes of the problem—poverty, lack of infrastructure, and prolonged absence of state presence—cannot be addressed solely with police interventions and brute force.

The magnitude of the operation also highlights the enormous problem of drug trafficking and paramilitary groups in Brazil. According to official reports, the state of Rio de Janeiro has recorded one of the highest rates of deaths due to police intervention, fueling debate about the legitimacy, strategy, and effectiveness of the methods employed.

Determination or brutality?

The episode, in any case, could mark a turning point. The state government wants to present it as a show of strength and determination in the fight against drug traffickers. But the question remains: can this police operation actually serve to stabilize security and regain authority among the vast favela communities? Or will it remain another bout of limited violence that fails to address the structural vulnerabilities that fuel the cycle of extortion, trafficking, and repressive response?

The city of Rio de Janeiro, with nearly 6.8 million inhabitants, remains one of the hardest hit by street violence in Brazil. Nearly 23% of the population lives in favelas, where the presence of armed factions and police interventions are constant. In 2023 alone, more than 1,000 homicides were recorded, with some 300 fatalities attributed to police operations within municipal limits. Most of the clashes are concentrated in the north and west, in the aforementioned Alemano and Peña complexes, where fighting between gangs and police shapes daily life.

Statewide, in 2024, nearly 700 deaths were recorded due to police interventions, a rate of about 4.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, and a total of 3,388 violent deaths, with a homicide rate of 21.1 per 10. Deaths due to gunfire during operations or armed confrontations were approximately 758, highlighting the scale of institutional violence and the consequences of a security policy heavily based on repression.