Brazil: At least 64 killed in Rio’s deadliest police raid
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At least 64 people were killed during a massive police operation in Rio's favelas targeting Red Command.
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Getúlio Vargas hospital workers move an injured person after police raids on October 28, 2025. (AP)
At least 64 people have been reported killed in what is being described as the deadliest day of violence in Rio de Janeiro’s history. The fatalities followed a massive pre-dawn police operation targeting Red Command strongholds in the favelas near Rio’s international airport.
More than 2,500 civil and military police officers and special forces units were deployed to storm the favelas of Alemão and Penha, home to an estimated 300,000 residents. The areas are known hubs for the Red Command, one of Brazil’s most powerful and heavily armed organized crime groups.
Gunfights erupted around 4 am as troops advanced, with reports of weaponized drones being used by gang members to drop explosives on security forces. Fires were set to vehicles and barricades as clashes spread throughout the densely populated communities.
By the afternoon, at least 64 deaths had been confirmed, including four police officers. Eight officers and four residents were reported injured. Human remains were seen across the streets, and disturbing images of young victims circulated on social media.
Drones, barricades, and gunfire in Rio’s densely populated favelas
“This is no longer common crime, it’s narco-terrorism,” said Rio’s Governor Cláudio Castro, who declared the city "at war." He said the raid was the largest police operation since 2010, and part of “Operation Containment,” aimed at capturing Red Command leaders.
Authorities said more than 80 suspects were arrested, and 93 automatic rifles were seized. Police were also placed on high alert across Rio amid fears of retaliatory attacks by drug gangs.
Public outrage and condemnation
Human rights advocates and opposition politicians condemned the bloodshed. Lucia Marina dos Santos, a state legislator from the Workers’ Party, described the operation as a "state-sponsored massacre", accusing authorities of transforming Rio’s favelas into war zones under the guise of a failed “war on drugs.”
“What is happening in Alemão and in Penha isn’t an operation – it’s a state-sponsored massacre,” she tweeted.
Activists say raids do not solve crime, only target the poor
Raull Santiago, a local activist, called the events a “massacre” and a “brutal landmark” in the city’s history.
"Once again, the favela is bleeding, once again we are counting an ever-increasing number of bodies," Santiago said.
Rene Silva, a journalist and resident of Alemão, criticized the government’s approach, saying that these operations only punish the poor while failing to address the true sources of crime.
“This isn’t a fight against crime, it’s a fight against poverty,” he said.
Glória Alves, a 65-year-old resident of the Palmeiras area, described the horror of waking up to intense gunfire near her home.
“And there was this volley of shots – so, so many shots. It was horrible”, she told local media.
Ongoing conflict and escalation risks
In recent months, the Red Command has intensified efforts to expand territory across Rio, clashing with paramilitary militias in the west of the city. Authorities fear more violence, with reports of gangs attempting to shut down major highways and roads, including access routes to the airport.
The death toll is expected to rise as police operations and armed clashes continued into Tuesday evening.
Until now, the most deadly single-day police raid in Rio occurred in May 2021, when 28 people were killed in Jacarezinho, another favela considered a Red Command stronghold.
