Rio de Janeiro witnessed another wave of extreme violence on Tuesday during a massive police operation in the Penha and Alemão complexes in the northern part of the city. The preliminary death toll is more than 60 people dead and at least 80 arrested, according to local authorities.
The operation, dubbed"Operation Containment," mobilized some 2,500 Civil Police and Military Police officers to execute 100 arrest warrants and 150 search and seizure warrants against members of the Red Command (CV), one of Brazil's largest criminal organizations.
During the raid, the criminals used drones to drop bombs on officers from the Special Resources Coordinator (Coordinador de Recursos Especialis, CORE), the elite unit of the Civil Police. Official images released by the force show the devices hovering over the officers and dropping improvised explosives. So far, no injuries have been reported from these airstrikes, although the use of drones set a precedent in the escalation of urban violence in Rio.
The confrontation, which lasted several hours, also left four police officers dead. Videos recorded by residents revealed bursts of more than 200 gunshots per minute, while the attackers erected barricades and generated smoke to slow the advance of security forces.
Rio de Janeiro Governor Cláudio Castro, of the Liberal Party (PL), denounced the severity of the incident and called it an act of terrorism: “This is how criminals greet the Rio de Janeiro police: with bombs dropped from drones. This is the magnitude of the challenge we face. This is no longer a common crime; it's narcoterrorism.”
Castro added that the State "will not back down" in the face of organized crime and reaffirmed that actions will continue "with strategy and technology in the fight against narco-criminal organizations."
Effects of the operation on health and education
As a direct consequence of the clashes, the Municipal Health Secretariat suspended the opening of five primary care centers and limited operations at other facilities. One family clinic resumed providing care but restricted home visits.
The Municipal Education Secretariat reported the closure of 28 schools in the Alemão Complex and 17 in Penha, while the state education system kept one school closed. Authorities are seeking to ensure the safety of students and teachers while operations continue.
An unprecedented operation
Operation Containment was the result of a year-long investigation led by the Delegation for the Repression of Torpedoes (DRE), in coordination with the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office (MPRJ). According to authorities, at least 30 of the suspects sought have ties to the state of Pará.
In addition to local forces, officers from the Special Operations Command (COE) and the Anti-Money Laundering Department participated, with support from helicopters, armored vehicles, demolition teams, and ambulances from the Rescue and Rescue Group.
The offensive is part of a series of coordinated actions to curb the expansion of the Red Command, responsible for drug and arms trafficking in much of Rio de Janeiro.
