At least 64 people, including four police officers, were killed and 81 were arrested on Tuesday in a major operation against the criminal group Comando Vermelho (CV) in the Alemão and Penha complexes in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, according to figures confirmed by the Guanabara Palace, the seat of the state government. At least 2,500 Rio de Janeiro security agents carried out 100 arrest warrants. When the teams arrived, still in the early hours of the morning, drug traffickers responded with gunfire and by burning barricades. The Civil Police also stated that, in retaliation, criminals launched bombs with drones. The Military Police ordered the deployment of all personnel on the streets, for which it suspended administrative activities. Governor Claudio Castro described the operation as a response from the State to what he called 'narco-terrorism,' stating that the objective is to curb the territorial expansion of the criminal organization, which has a growing presence in several neighborhoods of the state capital and neighboring municipalities, reported the Xinhua agency. 'This situation exceeds our jurisdiction, there should already be an integration with federal forces,' he noted. He recounted that criminals had set up barricades and used drones to launch explosives against security forces and the population in the Complexo da Penha, in an attempt to hinder police advance. In turn, the Secretary of Public Security, Víctor Santos, stated that the two complexes, Alemão and Penha, cover some 9 million square meters of irregular occupation and it is 'impossible' to control them with only state security forces. The police and military operation mobilized helicopters, drones, armored vehicles, demolition units, and ambulances, while agents from the Special Resources Coordinator, specialized delegations, the Military Police, and the Special Operations Command participated in the action. Neighbors in the communities reported intense shootouts since early Tuesday morning and difficulties in leaving their homes, in addition to at least five health centers in Penha and the Complexo do Alemão suspending activities for security reasons. The Rio de Janeiro government shared that the security operation will continue until all judicial orders are fulfilled and control of the territory is restored. Barricades were set up with confiscated vehicles or debris on Linha Amarela, Grajaú-Jacarepaguá, and Rua Dias da Cruz, in Méier, among many other places. Due to the multiple blockades, the Rio de Janeiro Operations and Resilience Center (COR) raised the city's operational level to level 2 on a scale of 5. Others fled in single file through the upper part of the community, in a scene similar to the 2010 massacre during the occupation of Alemão, reported Globo.com. Among those arrested is Thiago do Nascimento Mendes, known as Belão do Quitungo, one of the leaders of Comando Vermelho in the region. Another captured person is Nicolás Fernandes Soares, identified as a financial operator for one of the main leaders of CV, Edgar Alves de Andrade, known as Doca or Urso, according to Globo.com. The Secretary of Public Security of Rio de Janeiro, Víctor Santos, stated that the operation was planned in advance and did not have the support of the federal government. In the early afternoon, drug traffickers organized retaliations in several areas of the city.
