Rio's Deadliest Police Operation: A Question of Effectiveness and Control

Following Brazil's deadliest police operation, the community's grip under the Comando Vermelho gang raises doubts about the impact of law enforcement efforts in Rio de Janeiro.

On October 28, 2025, Rio de Janeiro experienced its most catastrophic police raid, aimed at dismantling the powerful Comando Vermelho gang. Despite the high death toll and large-scale arrests, residents report that their lives remain under the gang's firm control, questioning the efficacy of the operation.

New developments post-raid have cast doubt on the operation's true impact, as reports reveal a staggering death toll of 121 individuals, including four police officers. While Governor Claudio Castro deemed the operation a success, the reality on the ground tells a different story.

Critics, including human rights groups, have lambasted the police for their brutal tactics, calling the raid a massacre. Despite the deployment of 2,500 officers in the densely populated neighborhoods of Alemão and Penha, many claim that Comando Vermelho's grip has not only remained intact but appears to have strengthened.

While the operation targeted gang members with outstanding warrants, a local media audit revealed that none of those killed matched the names on the prosecutors' list. Furthermore, the operation did not capture Edgar Alves de Andrade, the gang's notorious leader, which experts suggest signals a failure in the operation's primary objective.

Residents express frustration, asserting that although the police action garnered media attention, it has done little to change their daily lives. Armed gang members reportedly roamed the streets soon after the raid ended, asserting their dominance over the community.

Comando Vermelho has established strict control over day-to-day life within the favelas, not only through drug trafficking but also by monopolizing necessities such as gas and electricity, leaving residents feeling trapped. The gang enforces its own laws, meting out severe punishments for perceived offenses and ensuring compliance through fear.

As the dust settles, calls continue for further operations against organized crime, but questions linger regarding their effectiveness. The reality for many in Rio remains an unsettling coexistence with powerful criminal organizations like Comando Vermelho.