MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Death toll at Rio favelas mega police operation updated to 119

“There is no silver bullet to solve this situation,” Lewadowski argued

The Brazilian State of Rio de Janeiro confirmed Wednesday that at least 119 people were killed in Tuesday's massive police mission targeting the Comando Vermelho drug gang, making it the deadliest operation in the city’s history.

The final count includes 115 suspected criminals —whom officials labeled “narco-terrorists”— and four police officers. The official tally is lower than the 132 deaths previously reported by the state public defender's office.

Public Security Secretary Felipe Curi provided the updated figures, stating that the fatalities were “criminals who attempted to murder our officers.”

The maneuver, codenamed “Operation Containment,” focused on the Penha and Alemão favela complexes. Officials also reported 113 arrests, including 33 criminal leaders from other states, and the detention of 10 teenagers. Security forces seized 119 weapons, mostly rifles, along with thousands of rounds of ammunition and tons of drugs.

The scale of the carnage prompted an immediate intervention from the federal government. By order of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Justice and Public Security Minister Ricardo Lewandowski and Federal Police Director-General Andrei Rodrigues traveled to Rio to meet with Governor Cláudio Castro.

Minister Lewandowski told reporters that the President was “appalled by the number of fatalities” and “surprised that an operation of this magnitude was launched without the federal government's knowledge.”

The meeting sought to jointly assess the situation and determine federal support. Lewandowski stated that the government would seek to “minimize the suffering of the people” and intensify the fight against criminal organizations.

The federal government offered to make space available in maximum security prisons for the transfer of arrested gang leaders and provide experts and medical examiners to identify the dead. In addition, the possible deployment of National forces was considered.

Rio de Janeiro Civil Police Chief Felipe Curi criticized those who called the operation a “massacre” but admitted there were some planning flaws.

At a press conference, he referred to those ill speakers as “engineers of finished works who talk a lot of nonsense on television.” He defended the police action, calling his officers “heroes” and criticizing those who suggested federal support was necessary.

“You can call the CIA, Mossad, FBI, and even NASA. They don't do what we do,” Curi said. He added that the National Force “is not specialized in this type of action,” claiming they have previously required rescue by Rio police.

Curi also sharply rebutted the term “massacre,” arguing that the action was a targeted operation to execute 100 arrest warrants. “Our police officers are being treated as victims, and the dead as perpetrators of the crimes,” insisted Curi. ”Those who went into the confrontation were neutralized (killed),“ asserting that the police were acting for the ”good people who are oppressed by narco-terrorists.“

Early Wednesday afternoon, the Rio de Janeiro government released a report on the mega-operation in the northern zone of the state capital, carried out on Tuesday. That document mentioned that the total number was 132 dead, plus 113  arrested, including ”33 criminal leaders from other states.“ Security forces also reported capturing 10 teenagers, 119 weapons, mostly rifles, as well as thousands of rounds of ammunition and tons of drugs.

According to Lewandowski,  Lula was ”appalled“ by the number of casualties. ”We will seek to minimize the suffering of the people, support the security forces, and intensify, as much as possible, the fight against criminal organizations,“ Lewadowski also pointed out. ”Of course, it is a complex operation; there is no silver bullet to solve this situation,” he further argued.