Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Rio Police Offensive Leaves At Least 138 Dead as Lula Says He Was Not Briefed

A rapidly climbing, disputed toll is fueling pressure for independent scrutiny of police tactics.

Overview

  • State forces deployed more than 2,500 officers in the Alemão and Penha complexes under Operation Containment targeting the Comando Vermelho.
  • Authorities cited between 81 and 113 arrests alongside seizures of roughly 100 rifles and over half a ton of drugs.
  • Residents reported recovering dozens of bodies from wooded areas, four police officers were killed, and lawyers alleged execution-style killings.
  • Comando Vermelho fighters used drones to drop explosives, assault rifles, and torched buses to blockade roads, forcing school closures, halted health services, and flight disruptions at Galeão.
  • Federal ministers moved to Rio as the U.N. and rights groups called for independent investigations, while alleged leader Edgar ‘Doca da Penha’ remained at large.