Rio de Janeiro launches largest predawn raid against Comando Vermelho

Rio de Janeiro police and military forces launched a predawn raid on Tuesday in the Complexo do Alemão and Penha favelas that authorities said targeted leaders of the Comando Vermelho drug gang, touching off intense gun battles that left an uncertain number of people dead and dozens arrested. Officials described the operation as the largest in the state’s history, involving roughly 2,500 officers, armored vehicles and helicopters, and said it began shortly after 4 a.m. in the densely populated northern neighborhoods.

The state government named the operation Operation Containment and said it followed more than a year of investigation into the criminal group’s expansion. Authorities said they detained about 80 suspects and recovered more than 40 automatic rifles. Officials reported that gunmen erected barricades, set vehicles ablaze and fired on police from within the maze of narrow streets. State authorities also said criminals deployed weaponized drones to drop explosives on security teams, sharing footage they said showed an unmanned device releasing a projectile.

Casualty figures remain disputed. Local hospital and on‑scene reports said at least 10 bodies arrived at one...