3 suspects shot dead during a police raid in Complexo da Mare, Brazil

Military police carried out a major operation on Monday (September 28, 2026) in the Complexo da Maré favela complex in the city’s northern zone, targeting drug trafficking and illegal weapons linked to the Terceiro Comando Puro (TCP) criminal faction.

According to the official operational balance released by the Rio de Janeiro State Military Police (PMERJ), officers seized 12 rifles, eight pistols, grenades, ammunition, and more than 300 kilograms of drugs. Six vehicles were recovered. Sixteen suspects were arrested; eight of them were injured and received medical assistance. Three suspects died in confrontations with police.

Approximately 200 officers from specialized units—including the Special Police Operations Battalion (BOPE), Tactical Motorcycle Battalion (BTM), Shock Police Battalion (BPChq), and Canine Actions Battalion (BAC)—participated in the action. It focused on communities such as Vila do João, Vila do Pinheiro, Morro do Timbau, Baixa do Sapateiro, Conjunto Esperança, and Salsa e Merengue. Police used armored vehicles and aerial support.

One military police officer was wounded in the arm during the operation. Reports also indicated that a 12-year-old child and a 15-year-old adolescent were among those injured; they were taken to hospitals for treatment.

The intense gunfire disrupted daily life in the area. Local authorities reported that dozens of schools closed and some health clinics suspended operations. In an apparent retaliatory act, armed individuals intercepted two school buses carrying students on the Linha Vermelha highway near Cordovil; the situation was resolved without further reported injuries after the criminals realized the vehicles were transporting students.

PMERJ shared images and video of the seized weapons and drugs alongside its official update on the operation’s results. The action forms part of ongoing efforts to combat organized crime and the circulation of heavy weaponry in Rio’s favelas.