The bodies just kept coming - reporter shares deadly Rio security action

Bruno Itan

A reporter who documented the aftermath of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has recounted how community members came back with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the photographer stated. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - additional victims were "severely damaged", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what he described as blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

The photographer reported that he initially learned about the operation in the early hours by community members from the Alemão area, who contacted him alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer made his way to the healthcare center, where the bodies were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that the police prevented journalists from accessing the operation zone, where the police action was under way.

"Security forces formed a line and said: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in the community, explained he was able to enter past the security perimeter, where he stayed until dawn.

He explained that Tuesday night, area inhabitants began to search the hillside which divides Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones who had been missing since the police raid.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood organized the discovered victims in an open area - the photographer's images display the emotions of those present.

"The violence of what occurred affected me deeply: the grief of the families, women collapsing, pregnant wives, crying, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The governor of the region stated that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to stopping an illegal organization referred to as Red Command from growing their influence.

Originally, the Rio state government stated that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed in the operation.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates shows that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has put the overall count of people killed to be 132.

According to researchers, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has been able to make territorial gains across the region.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in Brazil, in company with a rival criminal group, with a background extending half a century.

Based on Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio for years, Red Command "functions as a network" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and acting as "operational allies".

The organization concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in guns, gold, energy resources, liquor smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members are well armed and police said that throughout the operation, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the state, Cláudio Castro, labeled organization participants as criminal extremists and described the security forces fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

But the number of casualties during the raid has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities stating they were "shocked".

At a news conference the next day, Governor Castro defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He continued that the circumstances had escalated as the individuals had retaliated: "It resulted of the resistance they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The official further reported that the casualties shown by residents in the area had been "manipulated".

In a post through digital channels, he asserted that some of them had been taken of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

Felipe Curi representing security forces also said that tactical gear, protective equipment, and weapons" had been removed from the bodies and displayed evidence seemingly depicting an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse