Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), October 29 (Udaipur Kiran). At least 64 people were killed in one of Brazil’s largest-ever joint military and police operations targeting the powerful Comando Vermelho (Red Command) drug cartel in Rio de Janeiro. According to officials, 60 of the dead were suspected criminals, while four were police officers. The intense confrontation also led to the arrest of 81 gang members, including one senior leader of the criminal group.
The large-scale operation, codenamed ‘Operação Contenção’, was launched on Tuesday in Rio’s northern districts of Alemão and Penha, areas known to be strongholds of the Comando Vermelho cartel. According to a report by Folha de S.Paulo, the combined forces entered the favelas to execute 69 arrest warrants, supported by approximately 2,500 military and police personnel. The entire area was cordoned off with roadblocks, and drones were used to drop explosives when the criminals opened fire.
Governor Cláudio Castro confirmed the death toll, stating that 31 rifles were seized and one of the cartel’s local leaders was captured. “The criminals used drones to drop explosives on officers and civilians. We are confronting these gangs without support from the federal government,” the governor said.
Castro also criticised a Supreme Court ruling that restricts police action in Rio’s favelas, arguing that it has emboldened drug traffickers and hindered law enforcement efforts.
According to the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Comando Vermelho exerts near-total control over these areas, where “not even a leaf moves without their approval.” The group is led by two notorious figures — Edgar Alves de Andrade (known as Doca) and Pedro Paulo Guedes (known as Pedro Bala).
During the operation, schools were shut down for safety reasons, and authorities used helicopters and armoured vehicles to monitor and secure the densely populated regions — home to more than 100,000 residents.
Reports from The Rio Times stated that several cartel members hiding in caves in the northern hills of Rio were also captured. Governor Castro has deployed additional military battalions across the city amid fears of revenge attacks by the cartel.
The Comando Vermelho, one of Brazil’s oldest and most violent criminal organisations, first emerged during the military dictatorship in the 1970s and has since expanded its control over drug trafficking and organised crime networks across the country.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
