Rio Police Detail 65-Rifle Seizure From CV Hubs, Begin Forensic Tracing

Overview

• Police displayed 65 rifles and two pistols seized in a mega-operation against the Comando Vermelho in Rio.
• The Civil Police listed 28 AR-15, 21 AR-10, 16 AK-47, 14 FAL, 12 G3, one Benelli MR1 and one Mauser, and also reported six rifles traced to the armed forces of Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina and Peru.
• Authorities described nearly 90% of AR-platform rifles as counterfeit copy models, while an independent expert flagged the presence of 'ghost guns' likely assembled domestically from generic parts.
• Officials said the Penha and Alemão complexes serve as distribution hubs that receive about 10 tons of drugs per month and negotiate 50 to 70 rifles for other communities.
• The CFAE is conducting forensic analysis to build a weapons database, may petition to allocate serviceable guns to police units, and plans to destroy the remainder within up to three years.