Rio de Janeiro: At least 64 people were killed in Rio de Janeiro’s most deadly police operation to date, carried out against a major drug gang just days before the city hosts international events linked to the upcoming United Nations climate summit, COP30.
The large-scale operation targeted the Comando Vermelho gang across the Alemao and Penha favela complexes, near Rio’s international airport. Rio Governor Claudio Castro said four police officers were among the dead and described the operation as the largest ever mounted against organized crime in the state.
He said around 2,500 security personnel were deployed in the raids. Smoke was seen rising over parts of the city as gangs set vehicles on fire to slow the advance of armoured police convoys, while bursts of gunfire echoed across the densely populated neighborhoods.
After hours of clashes, police detained dozens of men, many stripped to the waist as heavily armed officers led them away. Outside a local hospital, grieving relatives waited for news of loved ones who had been injured or killed in the fighting.
Já são 81 criminosos presos na megaoperação Contenção realizada pelas das forças de segurança do RJ, agora, nos Complexos do Alemão e da Penha.
Acompanhe @PCERJ para atualizações‼️
— Polícia Civil RJ (@PCERJ) October 28, 2025
Authorities confirmed 81 arrests and said officers were executing more than 250 arrest and search warrants. The violence brought much of the city to a standstill, forcing the closure of schools and clinics, diverting bus routes, and causing heavy traffic congestion across several districts.
Police operations of this scale are often conducted before major international events in Rio. The city previously hosted the 2016 Olympics, the 2024 G20 summit, and the BRICS summit in July.
Next week, Rio will welcome global figures for the C40 mayors’ summit on climate action and the Earthshot Prize, which will feature Prince William, singer Kylie Minogue, and four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel.
These events form part of the lead-up to COP30, which will take place in the Amazon city of Belem from November 10 to 21. Governor Castro said the state government remains committed to confronting narcoterrorism and restoring security in Rio’s most volatile communities.
