A police operation carried out in several favelas in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday left at least seven dead during clashes with suspected criminals, authorities announced.
“Seven criminals were killed during clashes with our teams.
Five rifles, three pistols (...) and narcotics were seized
,” Rio state military police said on X. Three suspects were injured and two others were arrested, according to the same source, who also reported two injured police officers.
Launched in the early hours of the day, the operation aimed in particular to capture members of the
“Comando Vermelho”
, one of the largest organizations linked to drug trafficking in the country.
Numerous police vehicles and heavily armed agents blocked the entrances to the Complexo do Alemão favela, AFP noted.
Photos released by Rio police show bulldozers removing metal barriers placed at different entrances to the favela.
Other images circulating on social media show barricades of tires and furniture, some of which are on fire.
The operation forced the suspension of classes in dozens of schools, affecting some 20,500 students, Rio city councilor Thais Ferreira told X.
At the end of September, the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced that it would allocate around $180 million over the next three years to a national plan to fight criminal organizations.
Police operations against organized crime are common in Rio's slums, where police often engage in gunfights with traffickers.
Human rights organizations criticize these operations, which they consider ineffective.
In August 2023, raids against drug trafficking in several favelas in Rio, São Paulo and Salvador de Bahia left 44 dead in less than a week.