Armed Groups Use School Buses as Barricades After Rio Police Raid

Overview

• Rio police carried out a large operation in the Complexo da Maré earlier on Monday that targeted the Terceiro Comando Puro and, according to the Military Police, recovered 12 rifles, eight pistols, grenades and drugs while arresting 12 suspects and apprehending one adolescent.
• Police report the Maré action left three suspected traffickers dead and 13 people wounded, including a police officer and two adolescents, one of whom suffered shrapnel wounds from an apparent grenade and was later released from hospital.
• Hours after the raid, armed criminals intercepted three school buses on the Linha Vermelha near the Washington Luís access and used two buses as roadblocks before police arrived and moved more than 100 students onto reserve vehicles with no physical injuries reported.
• Parents and witnesses described panic and anger over the targeting of children, schools and some health units in the city suspended activities for the day, and authorities say victims were assisted and that steps are being taken to hold those responsible.
• Residents contest aspects of the police operation’s timing and conduct, and officials warn the episode shows a cycle of reprisal between security forces and well-armed criminal groups that could increase risks for civilians on major routes.