A massive police operation against the Red Command a communist inspired drug trafficking gang in Rio de Janeiro's favelas dubbed "Operação Contenção" (Operation Containment), unfolded on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, involving over 2,500 officers from state police, federal forces, and the military.
It targeted strongholds of the Red Command in the Complexo da Penha and Complexo do Alemão favelas. Officials described the raids as the culmination of a two-month investigation aimed at curbing the group's expansion, which has spread beyond Rio to regions like the Amazon.
Victor Santos, Rio's security secretary, acknowledged the "elevated lethality" at a press conference but called it "expected but not desired."
source:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/28/brazil-rio-at-war-police-drug-raids-favelas