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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a critical report one year after the deadliest police operation in Brazil’s history, accusing authorities of violating legal regulations regarding body cameras during raids in Rio de Janeiro. The findings come as the country implements a new anti-gang law aimed at tackling powerful criminal cartels and militias.
Accusations and Findings from Deadly Favelas Operation
The raids took place on October 28, 2025, when approximately 2,500 police officers deployed to the “Complexo do Alemao” and “Complexo da Penha” favelas to execute dozens of arrest warrants against members of the Comando Vermelho drug cartel. During hours of firefights, 117 alleged gang members and five police officers lost their lives in “Operacao Contencao” (“Operation Containment”).
According to HRW’s analysis of over 4,000 hours of video material, only about one quarter of the deployed officers wore body cameras, and some devices were manipulated. Not a single deadly shooting was recorded on video, violating a Supreme Court ruling that mandates body cameras for police in Rio, as highlighted by HRW Brazil director Cesar Munoz.
Autopsy findings analyzed by HRW further indicate that numerous bodies showed signs of execution, with 40% of victims shot in the head and 75% shot in the back. Munoz stated that there were reasons to believe the operation was designed to be lethal.
The Anti-Gang Law and Institutional Cooperation
Following the shock of the Rio operation, the “Anti-gang Law” (“Lei Antifaccao”) entered into force in March 2026. The legislation targets criminal groups such as the Sao Paulo-based PCC and Rio’s Comando Vermelho, as well as militias composed of corrupt police officers and soldiers, to dismantle them both criminally and economically.
Rodrigo Ghiringhelli de Azevedo of the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety (FBSP) told Deutsche Welle (DW.com) that the law addresses a real problem, noting the growing ability of criminal organizations to control territories, track funds, and infiltrate economic activities and public institutions. Azevedo praised the law’s expansion of tools for asset tracing, finance tracking, institutional cooperation, and capital withdrawal.
Munoz also noted that closer cooperation between state security agencies is an improvement, allowing the federal police to play a greater role in fighting gangs. Previously, military and civil police answered directly to state governments, leaving operations under the influence of local politics.
Constitutional Concerns and Prison Overcrowding Risks
Despite its goals, Azevedo told Deutsche Welle (DW.com) that the new legislation raises constitutional concerns, particularly provisions for the automatic imposition of pretrial detention on suspects. The law also plans to expand grounds for arrest, restrict prison condition easing such as furloughs and sentence suspensions, and extend prison stays.
Azevedo warned that these measures could worsen chronic prison overcrowding and accelerate the growth of Brazil’s massive prison population. He added that overcrowded facilities under insufficient government control allow syndicates like the PCC and Comando Vermelho to easily recruit new members.
Munoz emphasized the importance of preventing gangs from recruiting young people and offering new life prospects to those who have committed crimes. Furthermore, Azevedo pointed out that the cancellation of prison assistance—a state benefit paid to prisoners’ dependents—inflicts economic punishment on innocent family members, including children, violating the constitutional principle that punishments must not extend beyond the convicted person.
