Lula denies military support to Rio amid crackdown on organized crime
- José Adauto Ribeiro da Cruz
- há 8 minutos
- 5 min de leitura
Breaking news: Elite troops in Rio de Janeiro are under aerial attack by armed drones during an ongoing operation. A request for military support was made, but President Lula has refused.
Adauto Police Journalism* with AI Copilot support provided by Microsoft
Rio de Janeiro, October 28, 2025. The “Marvelous City” woke up engulfed in chaos reminiscent of war zones—explosions echoing through the favelas, thick smoke from burning barricades, and the constant roar of helicopters flying over the Penha and Alemão complexes in the northern zone.
This Tuesday, state police forces launched Operation Containment, a massive offensive aimed at reclaiming territories long under the ruthless control of the Red Command (Comando Vermelho, CV), one of Brazil’s most entrenched criminal factions.
What is unfolding is not a simple police raid, but an asymmetric urban guerrilla battle, where criminals armed with high-caliber rifles and innovative tactics openly challenge state authority, destroying innocent lives and paralyzing entire communities.
The operation, meticulously planned over the course of a year by the Civil Police’s Narcotics Division, with support from the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPJ), mobilized an impressive contingent of approximately 2,500 civil and military police officers.
Among the resources deployed were 32 armored vehicles, 12 demolition units to clear barricades, helicopters equipped with thermal cameras, police drones for aerial mapping, and ambulances from the rescue and emergency response teams.
The primary objective is to dismantle the CV leadership, executing 100 arrest warrants and 150 search and seizure orders targeting leaders operating not only in Rio but also in states like Pará—at least 30 targets are located there.
Investigators report that the faction seeks to expand its territorial control, managing drug and arms trafficking routes and even money laundering operations, with connections that include corrupt military personnel and public officials, according to audio intercepted by the Federal Police.
By late afternoon, the official toll revealed a devastating outcome: at least 64 people killed in the clashes, making this the deadliest operation in the state’s recent history, surpassing the 2021 Jacarezinho operation, which left 28 dead.
Among the fatalities were four civil police officers, including the chief of the 53rd precinct, Marcos Vinícius Cardoso Carvalho, who was killed in a treacherous ambush in Penha while coordinating elite teams.
Six other officers were injured, some seriously, amid hours-long shootouts. On the criminals’ side, approximately 60 were killed, many in dense forest areas where police forces were directed to avoid civilian casualties.
A total of 81 individuals were arrested, including Edgard Alves de Andrade, known as “Doca da Penha,” one of Rio’s most feared drug traffickers. Doca controlled not only the Penha complex but also areas in the western zone such as Gardênia Azul, César Maia, and Juramento.
Seized items include 72 rifles, nine motorcycles used for quick getaways, large quantities of ammunition, and tons of drugs still awaiting precise quantification, along with equipment that reveals the sophistication of the criminal arsenal.
Cornered, CV members responded with guerrilla tactics that turned communities into improvised fortresses. Main roads were blocked with barricades made of tires, burned vehicles, and debris, creating fiery, smoky labyrinths that hindered the advance of armored vehicles and forced police into hand-to-hand combat.
Residents reported apocalyptic scenes—bursts of nearly 200 gunshots per minute, captured in amateur videos showing tracer bullets streaking across the night sky and explosions reminiscent of a war film.
Police drone footage released by the Civil Police shows traffickers armed with AK-47 and AR-15 rifles fleeing in single file through the forest in Vila Cruzeiro, abandoning positions after hours of fierce resistance.
The most shocking element of the operation for Brazil and the world was the criminals’ innovative use of attack drones, elevating the conflict to a level of technological narcoterrorism.
By adapting common civilian drones—possibly DJ8 models or similar—modified with explosive mounts, traffickers launched grenades at positions held by the Civil Police’s elite Special Resources Coordination (CORE).
Exclusive footage released by the police shows drones flying low over agents, dropping homemade bombs that exploded near the troops, causing panic and forcing tactical retreats.
Although there are no reports of direct injuries from these aerial attacks, the episode highlights how far ahead organized crime is compared to Rio’s police forces.
Federal Police investigators had already intercepted audio of Doca negotiating the purchase of adapted drones, possibly imported or assembled locally using parts from e-commerce platforms.
This tactic, inspired by conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine—where drones are used for precision bombings—demonstrates the professionalization of criminal factions.
They invest in war-grade technology, such as heavy weaponry and encrypted communications, while the state struggles with limited resources and bureaucracy.
Governor Cláudio Castro emphasized: “This is how the police are received—with bombs dropped by drones. This is not ordinary crime; it’s narcoterrorism.”
"Lula commits deliberate inaction by not providing assistance to Rio to combat drug trafficking."
This innovation shocked security experts, who warn of an arms race in the favelas, where drug trafficking generates billions in revenue and channels part of it into modernizing its arsenal—leaving police forces at a technological and tactical disadvantage.
The growing dominance of these factions has not gone unnoticed internationally. For months, the United States has issued alerts to Brazil regarding the expansion of the Red Command (CV) and the First Capital Command (PCC), which control global cocaine routes and pose a threat to hemispheric security.
In January 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14.157, designating these organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
Trump argued that groups like the CV use extreme violence, explosives, and intimidation to impose control, equating them with threats such as ISIS or Mexican cartels. “We are in armed conflict with these cartels,” Trump declared, paving the way for economic sanctions, asset freezes, and even joint operations.
Lack of federal support worsens the fight against narcoterrorism in Rio de Janeiro
However, the Brazilian government, under President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva, firmly rejected this classification, stating in September during the United Nations General Assembly that organized crime is not terrorism.
Lula prioritizes social approaches, such as the decriminalization of drug users, arguing that labeling factions as terrorist organizations would excessively criminalize poor communities and open the door to foreign interference, violating national sovereignty.
Rio faces escalating violence without support from the Lula administration
The situation is worsening amid internal tensions. Governor Castro accused the federal government of denying assistance on three specific occasions: the loan of armored vehicles, logistical support, and the implementation of the Guarantee of Law and Order—a constitutional mechanism that allows the use of the armed forces in public security operations.
“We had our requests denied three times. We are alone in this war,” Castro stated at a press conference, comparing the current operation to the 2010 retaking of the Alemão complex, but without the federal support that was provided back then.
Although the Lula government responded by citing 178 Federal Police operations in Rio throughout 2025—24 of them targeting drug trafficking—and the presence of the National Force, critics see deliberate inaction.
The operation complied with ADPF 635 from the Supreme Federal Court, with real-time monitoring by the Attorney General. Still, Rio’s isolation increases the risks: schools have been closed, health clinics suspended, bus routes diverted, and the city’s operations center remains at alert level 2.
REFERENCES:
@viesmilitar
@jovempannews
