On the first day of the operation, according to reports, 64 people were killed, including four police officers. The police stated that preparations for the operation against the "Red Command" gang (Comando Vermelho, CV) had been underway for two months. As part of this operation, police special forces set up an ambush in the forest to block members of the gang.
The Governor of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro, expressed the opinion that most of those who died during the raid were criminals shooting from the forest. "I do not believe that anyone could have simply been walking in the forest that day. The only real victims were the police," he noted, characterizing the police's actions as a fight against "narcoterrorism."
State authorities emphasized that this was the largest operation in history aimed at the gang controlling drug trafficking in several favelas. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was shocked that the police conducted such an "extremely bloody and brutal" operation without notifying the federal government, as reported by Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski.
In terms of casualties, this operation became the most tragic in the history of Rio de Janeiro; the previous record belonged to an operation in the Jacarezinho favela in May 2021, where 28 people died, including police and suspects.
The "Containment" operation has been ongoing for more than a day and is mainly focused on the Alemão and Penha favelas. Residents of these areas left the bodies of at least 70 people in one of the squares early Wednesday morning, claiming that they were peaceful citizens who became victims of gunfire; however, this information has not yet been confirmed, as reported by the BBC.
The UN Human Rights Office expressed shock at the actions of the Brazilian police and called for a "swift and effective investigation." More than 100 people were arrested, including the alleged leader of the "Red Command" drug traffickers. Dozens of injuries have also been reported, including among civilians.
About 2,500 police officers began the operation on Tuesday morning, leading to clashes with the "Red Command," which responded with gunfire and barricades made of buses and cars, according to residents. Gang members also used drones to drop explosives on the police.
Governor Claudio Castro noted that such actions by criminals demonstrate the scale of the problem: "This is not just criminal activity, but narcoterrorism." Since the start of the "Containment" operation, the police have managed to seize over 200 kg of drugs and dozens of firearms.
Rafael Soares, a journalist covering crime events in Rio, noted that the "Red Command" has successfully reclaimed territories from other gangs in recent years, establishing drug smuggling routes. The favelas near Rio de Janeiro airport have become the center of activity for one of the most powerful criminal groups in Brazil, home to about 300,000 people.
Local residents describe the situation in the favelas as "resembling a war zone." According to Soares, operations in which more than 20 people die are "very rare" in Brazil, and such events typically occur specifically in Rio.
Rio de Janeiro's Minister of Public Security, Victor Santos, stated: "We are witnessing a real war in Rio de Janeiro. Decades of inaction by all institutions have allowed crime to grow." It is believed that Governor Claudio Castro organized this operation to demonstrate his determination in the fight against crime and to strengthen his position ahead of elections scheduled for next year. Moreover, large-scale police operations in Brazil are often conducted before significant international events, such as the UN climate summit COP30, which will take place in Belém in November.
