A massive police operation in Rio de Janeiro targeting the Comando Vermelho (Red Command) gang has left at least 132 people dead, making it the deadliest raid in Brazil’s history.

The operation, involving 2,500 officers and soldiers, struck the city’s low-income favelas of Penha and Alemão. Officials said the raid aimed to flush out gang leaders into nearby forests, where tactical units were waiting. What followed was a firefight that turned deadly, shutting down schools, shops, and roads across northern Rio.

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While Rio’s governor Cláudio Castro initially reported 58 deaths, Brazil’s public defender’s office raised the toll to 132. Authorities seized 118 weapons and over a tonne of drugs. Castro, a right-wing ally of former president Jair Bolsonaro, hailed the operation as a “historic success,” prompting protests and calls for his resignation.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he was “horrified” by the deaths and criticized the state for not coordinating with federal authorities. The UN Human Rights Office and Human Rights Watch condemned the excessive force, calling it part of a “cycle of brutality” that continues to claim civilian lives.

For residents of Rio’s favelas, the deadly raid has reopened long-standing wounds over police violence, inequality, and the human cost of Brazil’s war on crime.