At least 64 people have been killed in Rio de Janeiro after 2,500 police officers launched a massive raid on drug traffickers which has left the city burning in chaos.
Heavily armed officers backed with 32 ballistic-resistant vehicles, two helicopters, 12 demolition vehicles and drones descended on two favela neighbourhoods in the northern region of Rio on Tuesday afternoon.
Gunfire rang out for miles near RIOgaleão International Airport, and smoke could be seen billowing from the raging fires which broke out several hours after the busts began.
Residents in the impoverished neighbourhoods scrambled for cover and shops closed their doors amid police claims that the gangs were retaliating with drones of their own.
The Brazillian government said it launched the blitz to halt the narcotics network of a gang called Comando Vermelho – meaning Red Command – from expanding its operations.
State Governor Claudio Castro described the war-like operation, which unfolded in the Complexo da Penha and Complexo do Alemao favelas, as the largest in the state’s history.
Castro reported a death toll of 60 suspected gang members, and a source within his administration said at least four police officers were killed during the raids.
Sharing a video of a suspected gang-controlled drone launching a projectile from the foggy skies, Castro said: ‘This is how the Rio police are treated by criminals: with bombs dropped by drones.
An armed police officer holds his gun next to residents on a barricade during the drugs bust in the Vila Cruzeiro favela in Penha on October 28, 2025
Officers escort a suspect arrested during the raids in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 28
A monkey sits on the head of a Rio de Janeiro Police officer during the operation on October 28
Members of the Rio de Janeiro Police during the operation in the Brazillian city on October 28
Some of the alleged criminals arrested during the raids sit with their heads bowed while waiting to be transferred on October 28
Brazillian officers transport two individuals arrested during the operation on October 28
Armed police officers take cover during the bust which has seen 64 killed on October 28
Members of the military police special unit detain suspected drug dealers in Rio on October 28
‘This is the scale of the challenge we face. This is not ordinary crime, but narcoterrorism.’
Police could be seen in the Vila Cruzeiro neighbourhood of Penha, guarding around 20 young people who were huddled together and sitting on the pavement with their heads bowed, barefoot, and shirtless.
Dramatic images from the raids show alleged criminals being led away by police, who have made around 81 arrests.
One anonymous resident said: ‘This is the first time we’ve seen drones (from criminals) dropping bombs in the community. Everyone is terrified because there’s so much gunfire.’
Police used their destroyer vehicles to smash a row of barricades which had been erected by drug traffickers to prevent police from entering the narrow streets of the favelas.
Congressman Henrique Vieira, an evangelical pastor, roundly condemned the police operation.
The state government ‘treats the favela as enemy territory, with a license to shoot and kill,’ he wrote on X.
The UN human rights office also denounced Tuesday’s violence, saying it was ‘horrified’ by the scenes.
Motorcyclists raise their hands during the major police raid operation in Rio on October 28
Members of the military special unit patrol a street during a police operation on October 28
Police officers escort suspects arrested during the anti-drug bust on October 28
A local walks past a burnt out car near a ballistic-resistant police vehicle on October 28
A police officer lifts an object on a street barricade placed by alleged drug traffickers during a bust on October 28
People take cover behind a burned-out vehicle during a police operation in Rio on October 28
A couple rides past a burned car that was part of a barricade set up by alleged criminals on October 28
‘This deadly operation furthers the trend of extreme lethal consequences of police operations in Brazil’s marginalized communities,’ UN officials said in a statement.
‘We remind authorities of their obligations under international human rights law, and urge prompt and effective investigations.’
While raids in Rio’s favelas are common due to their links to drug crime, gangs and violence, this is the deadliest bust there has ever been. Until now the highest death toll came in a raid in 2021 that left 28 people dead.
Last year, approximately 700 people died during police operations in Rio.
Experts and human rights groups have lambasted the security efforts in Brazil, deeming them ineffective against criminal organizations.
The Human Rights Commission of the Rio State Legislative Assembly will demand ‘explanations of the circumstances of the action, which has once again transformed Rio’s favelas into a theater of war and barbarism,’ said Dani Monteiro, a congresswoman who heads the commission.
Tuesday’s operation also wreaked havoc on many of the city’s streets, which were ground to a dramatic halt.
‘We’re left without buses, without anything, in this chaos and not knowing what to do,’ said Regina Pinheiro, a 70-year-old retiree, who was trying to return home.
