A massive police operation targeting the powerful Red Command (Comando Vermelho) gang in two northern Rio favelas resulted in at least 138 deaths, according to the Rio de Janeiro state public defender’s office on Wednesday.

The raid, which unfolded over 12 hours on Tuesday, has been described as the bloodiest in Brazilian history, sparking outrage, grief, and a fierce debate over police tactics and public security.

The operation involved 2,500 civil and military police officers deploying armored vehicles, helicopters, and drones into the Complexo do Alemão and Penha favelas. State police reported 119 deaths—115 suspected criminals and four officers—while Rio Governor Cláudio Castro, a hardline ally of former President Jair Bolsonaro, claimed only 58 fatalities, including 54 "criminals" and the four officers.

Independent monitors from the public defender’s office, with teams on the ground, confirmed 132 bodies and said the count was ongoing. Residents dragged dozens of corpses into public squares, laying them in rows as family members identified loved ones amid screams of anguish. Brazilian media captured images of the grim scene, with sheets lifted to reveal the dead.

Gang members fought back intensely, using gunfire, drones, barricades of burning buses and cars, and other tactics that paralyzed the neighborhoods. Police reported seizing 118 weapons and arresting 113 people, including 10 minors.

Federal Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski acknowledged civilian deaths, calling the operation "extremely violent" and lamenting the loss of "innocent" lives alongside officers. He noted no formal request for federal support had been made beforehand and stressed that fighting organized crime demands better planning.

Governor Castro hailed the raid as the largest in state history and a "hard blow against crime," vowing police would remain until "full control" is achieved. He framed the violence as "narcoterrorism," not ordinary crime, and urged President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's leftist government for more federal aid. "The only victims were the four police officers," Castro told reporters, declaring the rest of the operation a success.

Critics, however, pointed to the scale of killing—over four times the 28 deaths in the 2021 Jacarezinho massacre under Castro's first term. Public security secretary Victor dos Santos defended the strategy, arguing gangs control territory to monopolize services like water, electricity, gas, and internet, generating revenue beyond drugs.

As of Thursday, October 31, 2025, the death toll has climbed to 138, per the latest public defender’s office update, with forensic teams still identifying victims. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International Brazil, have condemned the raid as a "massacre," calling for an independent federal investigation into potential excessive force and extrajudicial killings. Protests erupted in central Rio on Wednesday night, with hundreds marching and blocking avenues, demanding Castro's resignation and police reform.

President Lula's administration announced it would deploy federal forces to support Rio's security efforts starting next week, ahead of pre-COP30 climate events in the city. Lewandowski reiterated the need for coordinated, intelligence-led operations rather than large-scale assaults.

The Red Command issued a statement via social media claiming many victims were unarmed residents caught in crossfire, vowing retaliation. Police reported no new arrests but said operations continue in surrounding areas to prevent gang regrouping.

Violence remains a top voter concern in Brazil, outpacing economy and health in polls. With Rio hosting international events amid this bloodshed, the incident underscores the ongoing challenge of dismantling entrenched criminal networks in favelas without devastating communities.  (ILKHA)