Brazilian Police and Drug Traffickers Exchange Gunfire in Rio De Janeiro
Police operation in the Penha favelas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Dec. 3, 2024. X/ @tinojunior
December 3, 2024 Hour: 2:46 pm
The Red Command set up barricades with burning tires and torched two buses in the Penha favelas.
On Tuesday, Brazilian police launched a major operation in Rio de Janeiro targeting leaders of the “Red Command” (Comando Vermelho, CV), one of the country’s most powerful drug trafficking gangs.
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Security forces and Red Command traffickers exchanged gunfire in the Penha favela complex. CV members set up barricades with burning tires and torched two buses to hinder the police operation and create escape routes for their targets.
Brazilian police arrested ten suspects during the operation, which has so far left four people injured. Authorities also raided a call center that the gang allegedly used to receive alerts and intelligence, as well as two facilities used for drug refining.
In addition, authorities seized drugs, 15 stolen vehicles, rifle parts, ammunition magazines, cell phones, and documents. The Red Command uses the funds generated by its activities to purchase weapons and ammunition and to support the families of its incarcerated leaders.
The Penha favela complex serves as the command center for the Red Command’s territorial expansion orders and disputes with rival gangs. In fact, Tuesday’s operation involved police from the states of Ceara and Para, as there are indications that some organized crime leaders from those regions are hiding in the Penha favela complex.
The operation had negative impacts on civilians, such as the suspension of classes and the temporary closure of medical clinics. “The fight against organized crime does not stop,” Rio Governor Claudio Castro said while commenting on the operation.
However, the Defense of Human Rights Commission of Rio’s Legislative Assembly criticized the operation, stating that the profound impacts on the most vulnerable civilian populations are unacceptable. “We reiterate that the fight against crime must align with respect for constitutional guarantees,” it said.
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE
