
Brazil's Justice and Security Minister Ricardo Lewandowski and Rio de Janeiro State Governor Cláudio Castro announced on Wednesday the creation of an emergency office to tackle organized crime at a local level in a coordinated manner between the federal and state governments.

A massive police operation targeting the Comando Vermelho (CV) drug gang in the densely populated Penha and Alemão favela complexes on Tuesday has resulted in at least 64 deaths, making it the deadliest police action in Rio de Janeiro's history.

Relief work in Petropolis had to be halted Thursday due to new rains but the death toll continued to increase from previous figures, reaching 117 fatalities and at least 116 people missing.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro expressed his congratulations to the Rio de Janeiro police late Sunday for last week's raid in a favela which left 28 dead.

Rio de Janeiro Governor Cláudio Castro Friday stood by the police's actions in Jacarezinho, claiming that the suspects' response had been “brutal.”