No less than 64 Fatally Wounded in Rio de Janeiro's Largest Police Raid on Criminal Groups
No less than 64 people were killed in a security raid targeting the criminal organization Comando Vermelho in Rio de Janeiro's northern suburbs - the most extensive and fatal action in the area's past.
Four law enforcement personnel lost their lives during the police action in the communities of Alemão and Penha, local authorities said. Over 80 suspects were arrested.
Intense confrontations commenced when around 2,500 police forces moved in on the morning of the operation. The criminal organization responded with armed resistance, burning barricades and launching explosives via unmanned aircraft, officials stated.
The United Nations human rights body expressed being "appalled" by the security action, calling for "immediate and thorough inquiries".
Raid Aftermath
The slum neighborhoods adjacent to the city's international airport is regarded as the headquarters of a major organised crime groups.
Local authorities stated a minimum of 50 of the fatalities were "identified by authorities as alleged offenders".
Many residents were wounded, including innocent bystanders trapped in shooting.
Local Reaction
Locals have likened the elevated neighborhood - inhabited by approximately 300,000 individuals - to a "battlefield" since the mission commenced.
Access ways continue shut in the entire neighborhood.
Organized Crime Spread
The Red Command group have been expanding their influence in the area, increasing drug trafficking routes and dominance over the slum communities.
Rio's police stated over 200kg (441lb) of illegal substances were seized in the mission, together with multiple guns.
Mission Context
The coordinated mission by civil and military police comes after a twelve-month inquiry.
Many of the individuals are thought to be members of a faction from the Brazilian state who are at the moment taking refuge in the city.
Larger Framework
Major law enforcement actions are frequent in the South American nation ahead of significant global gatherings in the country.
The United Nations climate conference the environmental summit is scheduled in the northern urban center in late autumn.
