Urban Warfare in Rio de Janeiro: 64 Dead in Clashes with Drug Cartel

Rio de Janeiro has turned into a battlefield as a result of clashes between the authorities and a powerful drug cartel. A large-scale operation against the criminal group "Comando Vermelho" ("Red Command") has become the bloodiest in the state's history, claiming the lives of at least 64 people, four of whom were police officers. 81 people have been arrested.

The operation, which began on October 28 in the northern districts of the city, Alemão and Penha, plunged Rio into a state of chaos and a war-like situation for hours. The New York Times writes that the scale of this clash shocked even the residents of Rio, who are accustomed to bloody operations. In response to the police actions, the drug traffickers launched counterattacks throughout the city. They blocked the main roads, including the Linha Amarela highway, built barricades from cars and garbage, and set fire to cars and buses. The city's Operations Center was forced to raise the alert level, and the entire police force, including administrative staff, was ordered to take to the streets.

Local residents have reported widespread panic, with many taking shelter in their homes from the bullets. In one of the videos attesting to the intensity of the clashes, about 200 shots can be heard in just one minute. According to law enforcement, the criminals even used unmanned aerial vehicles to drop explosives.

This operation is part of a larger initiative called "Operation Containment," the goal of which is to prevent the expansion of "Comando Vermelho's" influence. The operation involved about 2,500 security personnel, who were tasked with executing about 100 arrest warrants. The police seized about 100 automatic rifles. Governor Cláudio Castro has stated that the operation has no specific end date, which means that the tension in Rio could remain for a long time.