Hours of clashes in the favelas of the Alemao and Penha complexes, with further criminal activity feared overnight. Mayor Eduardo Paes: The city cannot and will not be held hostage by criminals who want to spread fear in the streets. The president: Operation organized without the involvement of the federal government.

Over 130 deaths, hours of gunfights, torched buses used as barricades, and guerrilla warfare in the city streets. A police operation against traffickers from the Comando Vermelho in the favelas of the Alemao and Penha complexes has transformed Rio de Janeiro into a veritable battlefield, marking one of the most violent days in its recent history.

Rio State Governor Claudio Castro hailed the operation on X as a success, calling it the largest operation of its kind in the city's history. But President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his horror at the death toll, and Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski reported that the head of state was surprised that an operation of this magnitude had been organized without informing the federal government.

During the operation - the heaviest in terms of number of victims ever carried out in Brazil - 93 rifles and more than half a ton of drugs were seized, according to a statement from the state government, which specifies that the dead resisted police action.

Brazil, major operation against drug traffickers in Rio: at least 60 dead and over 100 arrests

Criminals from the most powerful criminal organization in Rio de Janeiro have unleashed chaos throughout the city, retaliating with improvised roadblocks from the north to the historic center and setting fire to buses to impede traffic. The guerrilla warfare was carried out by thousands of members of the group who control most of the favelas. In some areas, criminals have forced shopkeepers to lower their shutters and suspend business. Concern is growing as the darkness in the coming hours could lead to further criminal activity.

Municipal authorities have raised the alert status to level 2 due to traffic chaos and safety risks for residents in transit. Mayor Eduardo Paes said Rio cannot and will not be held hostage by criminals seeking to spread fear in the streets. The raid, which has been involving over 2,500 officers since this morning—four of the victims are police officers—is still ongoing. Therefore, the death toll is likely to rise further. The area affected by the operation is home to approximately 280,000 people. According to municipal authorities, 45 schools have been closed, while all clinics and health centers have suspended operations.