One of the most gruesome operations in Latin America took place when a brutal police raid in Brazil left more than 120 people dead, amid shocking claims that officers decapitated a 19-year-old alleged gang member and displayed his head “like a trophy” during what authorities are calling the country’s deadliest-ever anti-gang operation.
The crackdown began on Tuesday in two of Rio de Janeiro’s largest impoverished neighbourhoods, targeting members of the notorious Red Command drug gang. Police said the raids followed a yearlong investigation into the group, which has grown into one of Brazil’s most powerful criminal networks.
According to local reports, the teen’s mother said her son’s head was “hung from a tree like a trophy” after police stormed the Penha district. Lawyer Albino Pereira Neto, representing three affected families, told Brazilian media that some bodies showed signs of torture, including “burn marks,” while others were found tied up and left in the streets wearing only underwear.
Authorities said the raids were meant to restore order in gang-controlled areas ahead of next month’s COP30 Climate Summit in Rio. More than 100 alleged gang members were killed and 113 suspects detained. Police also seized 91 rifles and large quantities of drugs.
Residents described scenes of chaos as helicopters, armoured vehicles and drones filled the skies. Gun battles erupted as gang members launched bombs from drones and used buses to block roads leading into the favelas. “This is how the Rio police are treated by criminals: with bombs dropped by drones,” a police spokesperson said. “This is not an ordinary crime, but narco-terrorism.”
Military police secretary Marcelo de Menezes said officers had pushed gang members into a nearby forest “to protect the population.” Civil police secretary Felipe Curi denied reports that the half-naked display of bodies was intended to humiliate them, claiming residents had stripped the dead to take “camouflage clothing, vests and weapons.”
UN officials expressed alarm over the bloodshed. “We are greatly concerned by the casualty numbers,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights called the violence “horrifying” and urged “swift investigations.”
The crackdown began on Tuesday in two of Rio de Janeiro’s largest impoverished neighbourhoods, targeting members of the notorious Red Command drug gang. Police said the raids followed a yearlong investigation into the group, which has grown into one of Brazil’s most powerful criminal networks.
According to local reports, the teen’s mother said her son’s head was “hung from a tree like a trophy” after police stormed the Penha district. Lawyer Albino Pereira Neto, representing three affected families, told Brazilian media that some bodies showed signs of torture, including “burn marks,” while others were found tied up and left in the streets wearing only underwear.
Authorities said the raids were meant to restore order in gang-controlled areas ahead of next month’s COP30 Climate Summit in Rio. More than 100 alleged gang members were killed and 113 suspects detained. Police also seized 91 rifles and large quantities of drugs.
Residents described scenes of chaos as helicopters, armoured vehicles and drones filled the skies. Gun battles erupted as gang members launched bombs from drones and used buses to block roads leading into the favelas. “This is how the Rio police are treated by criminals: with bombs dropped by drones,” a police spokesperson said. “This is not an ordinary crime, but narco-terrorism.”
Military police secretary Marcelo de Menezes said officers had pushed gang members into a nearby forest “to protect the population.” Civil police secretary Felipe Curi denied reports that the half-naked display of bodies was intended to humiliate them, claiming residents had stripped the dead to take “camouflage clothing, vests and weapons.”
UN officials expressed alarm over the bloodshed. “We are greatly concerned by the casualty numbers,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights called the violence “horrifying” and urged “swift investigations.”
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