Images from the operation in the Vila Cruzeiro favela of the Penha complex, October 28, 2025. Credit: Mauro PIMENTEL / AFP / Profimedia
At least 64 people died on Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro's deadliest-ever police operation targeting a major gang. The event took place a few days before the Brazilian city hosted global events associated with the UN climate summit, COP30, reports Reuters.
Police often carry out large-scale operations against criminal gangs ahead of major events in Rio de Janeiro, the city that hosted the 2016 Olympics, the 2024 G20 summit and the BRICS summit in July.
Next week, Rio hosts the C40 global summit of mayors fighting climate change and Prince William's Earthshot Prize, which will be attended by celebrities such as pop star Kylie Minogue and four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel.
The program is part of the preparation for COP30, the UN climate summit, which is to be held in the Amazonian city of Belem from November 10-21.
The death toll was confirmed by Rio's governor, Claudio Castro, and also includes four police officers.
“We remain steadfast in confronting narco-terrorism,” Castro wrote on social media, saying the operation involved 2,500 members of the security forces within the radius of the favelas in the Alemao and Penha complexes.
Rio's favelas are poor, densely populated settlements located on the city's hilly oceanfront terrain. On Tuesday morning, gangs set fire to cars to slow the advance of armored vehicles as gunfire rang out.
Tuesday's operation was described by the state government as the biggest yet to target the Vermelho Commando group. Castro confirmed 81 arrests as authorities sought to serve 250 arrest and search warrants.
The clashes disrupted the work of dozens of schools and medical facilities, redirected bus routes and hampered traffic in several neighborhoods of the state capital.
