Rio Police Offensive Leaves 121 Dead as STF Scrutiny Deepens

Overview

• Authorities report 121 dead, including four police officers, with 113 detained and 118 weapons seized after a tactic dubbed the Bope “wall” forced clashes into forested terrain between the Alemão and Penha complexes.
• State leaders defend the action as planned and effective, asserting most fatalities were CV gunmen; mid-level figure Thiago “Belão” Mendes and alleged financial operator Nicolas Fernandes Soares were arrested, while alleged top target Edgar “Doca” Alves remains at large.
• STF minister Alexandre de Moraes demanded detailed explanations and is set to meet Rio officials on Monday, as the federal and state governments announced a joint office to coordinate operations against organized crime.
• The Rio Public Defender’s Office asked the STF to authorize independent autopsies, citing alleged breaches of court protocols, while police opened an inquiry into suspected evidence tampering after bodies were moved from the forest to a public square.
• Investigations cite app groups where CV leaders ordered torture and punishments, and separate reporting highlights the faction’s Argentine money-laundering network, prompting heightened border alerts by Buenos Aires.