132 Killed In Massive Police Raid On Brazilian Gang, Residents Accuse Cops Of 'Massacre'

Last Updated:October 29, 2025, 22:32 IST

Around 2,500 police officers launched a raid on Rio's most powerful criminal organisation, the Comando Vermelho, or Red Command.

Residents stand next to lined-up bodies in front of a morgue truck in Rio de Janeiro. (AFP)

At least 132 people were killed in what is believed to be the most violent police crackdown on drug gangs in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, as grieving residents laid out dozens of bodies in the street and accused cops of a “massacre".

Around 2,500 police officers launched a raid on Rio’s most powerful criminal organisation, the Comando Vermelho, or Red Command, which commands the drug trade in several favelas. Armoured vehicles, helicopters and drones were dispatched as streets turned into warzones, with police and gang members exchanging heavy gunfire.

“The most recent update is 132 dead," the Rio state public defender’s office, which provides legal assistance to the poor, told AFP. Four police officers were also killed during the military-style operation.

Around 70 corpses were lined up on the street in Penha Complex, one of two densely populated, working-class neighbourhoods targeted in northern Rio. Relatives of the deceased wept over the blood-stained bodies and accused the police of high-handedness.

“The state came to massacre, it wasn’t a (police) operation. They came directly to kill, to take lives," one woman," a woman told AFP. “I just want to take my son out of here and bury him," Taua Brito, a mother of one of those killed, told Reuters.

‘Shot In The Back’

Raul Santiago, a 36-year-old resident and activist, said some people were summarily executed, including being shot in the back. “This cannot be considered public safety."

Albino Pereira Neto, a lawyer, said some of those killed were “tied up" and some were “murdered in cold blood". The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said it was “horrified" at the scale of brutality and called for swift investigations.

However, the government defended the operation, with Rio Governor Claudio Castro saying he was certain those dead from the operation were criminals, as much of the gunfire was in a wooded area. “I don’t think anyone would be walking in the forest on the day of the conflict," he told reporters.

Brazilian authorities accused the suspects of using buses as barricades and using drones to attack the police. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who landed in Brasilia late on Tuesday from a trip to Malaysia, has yet to comment on the raids.

The operation came days before Rio hosts global events related to the United Nations climate summit known as COP30, including the C40 global summit of mayors tackling climate change and British Prince William’s Earthshot Prize.

(with inputs from agencies)

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

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News world 132 Killed In Massive Police Raid On Brazilian Gang, Residents Accuse Cops Of 'Massacre'

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