Rio de Janeiro’s state law enforcement agencies have initiated a large-scale operation involving nearly 2000 military and civil officers in ten low-income neighborhoods to regain control of areas dominated by organized crime. The operation, which has no specified end date, aims to address the intense territorial disputes involving drug traffickers and militias in Rio’s western zone.
During the operation, which also involves executing arrest warrants, three individuals have been arrested, and a car containing three grenades was seized. The state government emphasized that the security task force is committed to combating criminal organizations that seek to hold the population hostage.
The deployment of officers spans across various urban neighborhoods, commonly referred to as favelas, including Rio das Pedras, Terreirao, Cesar Maia/Coroado, Cidade de Deus, Muzema, Gardenia Azul, Tijuquinha, Fontela, Morro do Banco, and Sitio do Pai Joao.
Partners in this operation include the Navy, municipal guard, cable TV and internet operators, as well as water, electricity, and gas utilities. The collaboration aims to address the spread of organized crime in Rio’s western zone, which has resulted in violent clashes between law enforcement agencies and different factions of drug-trafficking groups and militias.
Notably, the militias, initially formed in the late 1980s to counter the expansion of drug traffickers, have transitioned into activities such as land-grabbing and real estate control. According to a recent study by the Federal Fluminense University and the Fogo Cruzado Institute, these militias now control over half of the territory in Rio’s metropolitan region.
