Authorities declare start of a “transformational” operation to wrest control of Jacarezinho from drug gangs and mafias.

In a dramatic move, hundreds of heavily armed police forces launched an operation to reclaim control of Jacarezinho, one of Rio de Janeiro’s largest and most notorious favelas. The operation is the beginning of what the state governor has termed a “transformational” effort to wrest control from the criminal factions that have dominated the area for decades, including drug gangs and mafia groups.

The operation, which began at dawn on Wednesday, saw security forces in camouflage gear and armoured vehicles sweeping through the favela. Jacarezinho has long been a stronghold of the Red Command drug faction, which has had a presence in the area since the 1980s.

During the operation, a special forces soldier was seen wearing a tactical vest emblazoned with the Latin phrase “Si vis pacem, para bellum” (“If you want peace, prepare for war”), underscoring the scale and intensity of the operation. By the afternoon, authorities reported the arrest of 30 individuals as they targeted not only Jacarezinho but also the nearby Muzema favela, which is controlled by milícia mafia groups.

Governor Cláudio Castro, a supporter of President Jair Bolsonaro, emphasized that the operation was just the beginning of a broader set of changes aimed at transforming public security. The civil police chief confirmed plans for a permanent police presence in the area following the raid. This development comes just months after Jacarezinho witnessed a massacre in 2021, which remains the deadliest police operation in Rio’s history.