Death toll rises to 119 in Rio’s deadly police raid, UN raises alarm

The death toll from a massive police raid targeting a notorious drug gang in Rio de Janeiro has soared to 119, including four police officers, Brazilian authorities said on Wednesday.

More than 2,500 police and soldiers took part in Tuesday’s operation against the Comando Vermelho (Red Command) gang, sparking hours of intense gunfire across two low-income neighborhoods. Residents described scenes of chaos and fear as bodies filled the streets.

“That’s cowardly, it’s carnage,” said Carlos da Silva, a 44-year-old community leader. “You only see this in wars like Iraq or Gaza. It looked like a tsunami hit us. There were bodies everywhere.”

The UN Human Rights Office expressed deep concern over the bloodshed. “We understand the challenges of confronting violent criminal groups,” said Marta Hurtado, the UN Human Rights spokesperson for Brazil. “But the long list of operations resulting in many deaths which disproportionately affect people of African descent raises questions about how such raids are conducted. Brazil must break the cycle of extreme brutality and ensure police actions comply with international standards on the use of force.”

Schools and a local university in the affected areas were closed, while roads were blocked with buses turned into barricades.

Rio’s state government defended the operation, saying those killed had resisted arrest.

The raid is one of Brazil’s deadliest in recent years, intensifying debate over police violence and the government’s ongoing war against organized crime.