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On Tuesday, police in Rio de Janeiro launched an operation in two of the city's favelas that left 121 dead, including four police officers, and an unknown number of people wounded. The Associated Press October 31, 2025 at 7:27PM Ineffective, political gains In August, Brazil launched a crackdown on organized crime, seizing 1.2 billion reais (about $220 million) in assets tied to a money laundering scheme involving the fuel sector and investment funds. Police arrested five suspects and executed hundreds of warrants nationwide, including in affluent business districts, without firing a single shot. ''This operation revealed the connection between crime and wealth,'' said Daniel Hirata, a sociologist at Fluminense Federal University who maps criminal activity in Rio. ''We often associate organized crime with urban poverty, but it survives through ties to political and economic elites.'' The university's Study Group on New Illegalisms has recorded over 1,800 police operations in Rio's metropolitan area this year. Only 1.3% were deemed effective, based on arrests and casualty counts. In 2024, police killed 6,243 people in Brazil — 14% of all homicides — according to the Brazilian Forum on Public Security. Rio de Janeiro Gov. Cláudio Castro called the recent operation a ''success,'' despite the deaths of four officers. But with hundreds killed, retired police officer Ferraz described it as ''barbaric,'' viewing the raid as part of a political struggle for control of the city. Gabriela Sá Pessoa reported from Sao Paulo. ___ Follow AP's Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA and ELÉONORE HUGHES The Associated Press
