Brazilian police say that raid in Rio de Janeiro targeted a leader of Red Command, a powerful criminal group. Published On 19 Mar 202619 Mar 2026At least eight people have been killed during a police raid on a neighbourhood in the centre of Rio de Janeiro, continuing a trend of deadly operations in poor favela communities.Brazilian police authorities said that Wednesday’s raid killed Claudio Augusto dos Santos, a commander of the powerful criminal group Comando Vermelho, or Red Command.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listMilitary police chief Marcelo Menezes Nogueira said that the raid resulted in a “major armed confrontation”. Dos Santos and six other suspected criminals were killed, and a local resident was reportedly caught in the crossfire after being taken hostage.Local witnesses described individuals affiliated with the Red Command retaliating against the raid by blocking roads and setting a bus on fire.“They boarded, told me to get the passengers off, and set the bus on fire. It all happened very fast,” bus driver Marcio Souza told the news service AFP.Police said that five people were arrested for alleged acts of vandalism. About 150 military police officers took part in the raid in areas such as Prazeres, Fallet, Fogueteiro, Coroa, Escondidinho and Paula Ramos.Dos Santos was linked to drug trafficking in the Prazeres favela, and there were 10 warrants for his arrest, according to media reports. Police have accused Dos Santos of involvement in the killing of an Italian tourist, Roberto Bardella.Wednesday’s operation comes several months after an October police raid killed more than 130 people in the Rio favela of Complexo da Penha, raising questions about the methods of state security forces. Advertisement President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva slammed that raid as a massacre.Some politicians in Brazil’s left wing slammed Wednesday’s raid as a continuation of the trend towards reckless con …
