A major anti-drug operation in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro has resulted in at least 64 deaths and 81 arrests this Tuesday, marking it as the deadliest police action in the city's history. The operation, involving around 2,500 agents, began early Tuesday in the Penha and Alemão favela complexes and is still ongoing. The objective is to apprehend the leaders of the Comando Vermelho (CV), one of Brazil's most powerful crime syndicates, and halt their territorial expansion. The CV is primarily involved in drug and arms trafficking, with its operational center in Rio de Janeiro state, where it controls several neighborhoods, though its presence is felt across the country, especially in the Amazon region. Of the 64 fatalities, 60 are reportedly civilians, suspected individuals, and four are security agents. Rio de Janeiro state Governor Cláudio Castro described the operation as the largest ever conducted against the CV, noting that the current toll is partial, suggesting there could be more casualties and detainees. Local media have reported that CV members have set up barricades in the favelas to prevent security forces from entering. Numerous avenues have been cut off, and all police bodies in the city have been mobilized. Castro, citing videos as evidence, stated that criminals resisted with armed drones, attacking police at several points in the favelas. Additionally, over fifty assault rifles and 'a huge amount of drugs' have been confiscated. The operation has also led to the temporary closure of schools, disruptions to some of the city's main arteries, affecting a hundred bus routes, and the suspension of work at the Rio de Janeiro City Council.
