Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro witnessed its deadliest police operation in history on October 28, 2025, as a massive assault on a notorious drug gang in the city’s favelas resulted in at least 60 deaths and drew immediate international scrutiny.
The operation, dubbed “Operation Containment,” involved more than 2,500 officers, armored vehicles, and helicopters. It targeted the “Comando Vermelho,” or “Red Command,” which is identified as the largest drug trafficking network in Rio.
Police efforts focused on the densely populated Complexo do Alemão and Penha favelas, large shantytowns in the northern part of the city. Brazilian media reported intense exchanges of machine gun fire and explosions echoing through the areas, causing multiple injuries, including to innocent bystanders.
Of the at least 60 fatalities, four were police officers, according to reports from Al Jazeera. This makes it the deadliest police action ever recorded in Rio de Janeiro state.
Governor Claudio Castro of Rio de Janeiro addressed the public in a video statement, asserting that officers had disarmed and neutralized threats from over 60 suspects. He also announced 81 arrests and the seizure of numerous weapons.
Castro vowed to achieve a crime-free Rio and a safer Brazil for its citizens. The “Comando Vermelho” has long exerted influence and control over many impoverished communities in the city.