photographer Documents Mounting Death Toll in Rio Police Raid
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - A massive police operation targeting the Comando Vermelho (Red Command) criminal gang in Rio de Janeiro has resulted in a dramatically escalating death toll, with conflicting reports placing the number of fatalities at between 117 and 132, according to authorities and the public defender’s office.The raid, involving approximately 2,500 security personnel, was intended to disrupt the gang’s territorial expansion, according to Rio state Governor Cláudio Castro.
The operation began with the stated goal of arresting suspects alive, as Castro explained at a news conference Wednesday, “It wasn’t our intention to kill anyone. We wanted to arrest them all alive.” However, he attributed the high number of deaths to the suspects’ response, stating, “It was a consequence of the retaliation they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals.”
Initial reports from the Rio state government indicated 60 suspects and four police officers were killed. This figure has as been revised upwards to 117 suspects, described as “preliminary” by officials. Rio’s public defender’s office, which provides legal assistance to the poor, reports a total of 132 fatalities. Four police officers have been confirmed dead, hailed as “heroes” by Governor Castro.
Red Command, one of Brazil’s two largest gangs alongside the First Capital Command (PCC), has a history spanning over 50 years and is the only criminal group in recent years to have demonstrably gained territory within Rio de janeiro state. Journalist Rafael Soares, a long-time chronicler of Rio’s crime landscape, describes the gang as operating “like a franchise,” with local leaders functioning as business partners.
The gang’s activities extend beyond drug trafficking to include smuggling guns, gold, fuel, alcohol, and tobacco.Authorities report that gang members are heavily armed, and police faced attack during the raid from explosive-laden drones. Castro has labeled Red Command members as “narcoterrorists.”
The scale of the bloodshed has drawn international criticism, with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing its horror at the mounting death toll.The situation remains fluid as investigations continue and the full extent of the casualties is determined.
