At least 22 dead in Rio de Janeiro police operation ahead of climate summit events

Members of the military police special unit detain suspected drug dealers during a police operation against drug trafficking at the favela do Penha, in Rio de Janeiro. (REUTERS)

At least 22 people, including four police officers, were killed in a large-scale operation against organized crime in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, the state government said, days before the Brazilian city is set to host major events related to the COP30 global climate summit.

"We stand firm confronting narcoterrorism," Governor Claudio Castro wrote on social media as he announced the operation, which he said involved 2,500 security personnel and 32 armored vehicles across the Alemao and Penha favela complexes. The complexes are poor, densely populated settlements on Rio's outskirts.

Authorities said the 18 fatalities that were not police officers were suspected of connections to drug trafficking.

Rio will next week host the C40 summit of global mayors and Prince William's Earthshot Prize, which will feature celebrities including pop star Kylie Minogue and four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Both are part of the run-up to COP30, the United Nations climate summit taking place in Belem, northern Brazil, from November 10 to November 21.

Large-scale police operations are not uncommon ahead of major international events in Rio, which hosted matches of the 2014 World Cup, the 2016 Olympics, the 2024 G20 summit, and the BRICS summit earlier this year.

Tuesday's operation was described by the state government as the largest ever targeting the Comando Vermelho gang. At least 56 people have been arrested as authorities sought to serve 250 arrest and search warrants, the government added.

Around 50 health and education facilities had their routines disrupted by the clashes, and bus routes had to be changed to avoid the gunfire.