Deadly Rio Police Raid Claims Over 100 Lives in Battle Against Powerful Drug Gang

Intense gunfire exchanges between police and suspected gang members created chaotic scenes as frightened residents sought shelter.

Wednesday saw residents of a Rio de Janeiro community display their deceased on the streets following Brazil's deadliest police operation, which claimed at least 119 lives, highlighting the city's contentious battle against drug organizations embedded in impoverished neighborhoods.

The staggering death toll from the operation left President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva horrified, occurring just days before Brazil hosts the COP30 global climate conference in Belem, an Amazonian city.

While human rights activists and the United Nations expressed concerns regarding police force usage, Rio's state administration celebrated the operation as successful in their efforts to prevent territory acquisition by the formidable Comando Vermelho (Red Command) gang.

This heavily armed criminal organization—which deployed drone-dropped bombs against officers—has in recent years seized control of extensive areas across Rio de Janeiro, focusing operations in vast favelas that millions call home.

Following the police action that paralyzed the city, Complexo da Penha favela residents recovered numerous bodies from a nearby forest, as reported by AFP journalists.

Residents condemned what they described as "executions" while viewing the row of corpses covered with makeshift shrouds, including one decapitated individual and another severely disfigured.

"This wasn't a police operation; the state came to massacre. They arrived specifically to kill and take lives," one woman told AFP, requesting anonymity.

State authorities reported a provisional death toll of 119, including 115 suspected criminals and four police officers.

Rio's Public Defender's Office, a state entity providing legal assistance to underprivileged citizens, documented at least 132 fatalities.

The large-scale operation involved numerous officers supported by armored vehicles, helicopters, and drones, transforming favela streets into war zones.

As the operation progressed, Comando Vermelho captured dozens of buses to barricade major highways and deployed explosive-carrying drones against police forces.

State Governor Claudio Castro characterized the raid against what he termed "narcoterrorism" as successful, claiming that only police officers were victims among those killed.

Lula indicated the federal government had no prior knowledge of the operation.

"The president is horrified by the fatality count and was surprised that an operation of this magnitude was organized without federal government awareness," stated Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski.

Residents, however, accused police of summary executions.

"We've seen executed individuals, many shot in the head from behind or shot in the back. This cannot be classified as public safety," said Raull Santiago, a 36-year-old resident and activist.

Attorney Albino Pereira Neto, representing three bereaved families, informed AFP that some bodies displayed "burn marks" and several victims had been restrained.

Some were "murdered in cold blood," he asserted.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed being "greatly concerned" about the casualty figures, according to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights declared itself "horrified" and demanded "swift investigations."

A delegation from Lula's administration will visit Rio on Wednesday for an emergency consultation with Castro.

Last year, approximately 700 people perished during police operations in the city, averaging nearly two daily fatalities.

The Human Rights Commission of Rio's state legislature will demand "explanations" regarding how the favela was transformed into a "theater of war and barbarism," according to commission head Dani Monteiro's Tuesday statement.