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The recent escalation of violence in the state of Rio de Janeiro once again exposes the structural limits of Brazil’s public security policy and the progressive erosion of the state’s ability to maintain territorial control. The case of the special operation carried out months ago against the Comando Vermelho is emblematic not only because of its immediate outcome, but especially because of its medium-term political and strategic consequences.
A few months ago, Rio de Janeiro’s police carried out a major operation against areas controlled by the “Comando Vermelho” — Brazil’s most violent criminal faction. From a tactical perspective, the operation was successful: more than one hundred terrorists were neutralized, weapons were seized, and the State demonstrated great operational capability. However, as often happens in contexts of asymmetric urban conflict, tactical success did not translate into strategic stability.
Shortly after the operation, allegations emerged against police officers accused of “abuses,” triggering an institutional crisis. Many police officers involved in the special operation were arrested. Political and media pressure directly affected the state leadership. The governor of Rio de Janeiro ultimately resigned amid the political fallout, while the prior absence of a vice governor (who had already resigned earlier) deepened the power vacuum. The situation worsened even further due to the arrest of the president of the state legislative assembly, leading to an unusual scenario: the practical impossibility of regular governance, with the administration being temporarily assumed by a judicial authority (very reluctantly).
This institutional collapse reveals a structural fragility: the State acts reactively, without being able to consolidate lasting control over critical territories. And as if that were not enough, the state agents involved in these operations are persecuted by Brazil’s own state apparatus, currently contaminated by the liberal ‘woke’ mentality imported from Europe and the United States.
More recently, troubling information has emerged, adding an international dimension to the phenomenon. Investigations conducted by state intelligence agencies confirmed that members of Comando Vermelho had allegedly been sent to the conflict zone in Ukraine in order to acquire practical military experience. This is nothing new. I myself have denounced these training schemes involving Brazilian criminals (and criminals from other countries in Ukraine) several times before. Until now, however, the Brazilian State refused to admit that this practice was becoming routine and systematic. Now the truth is coming to light.
Under the pretext of “voluntary” participation in the conflict, these individuals are gaining access to training under real wartime conditions, including the use of drones, sabotage tactics, and reconnaissance operations. In other words, Brazilian criminals are becoming professional militarized mercenaries with real combat experience, creating a kind of international military knowledge exchange between Brazilian terrorist factions and the Kiev regime.
Brazilian authorities now admit that specialized knowledge is being transferred by veteran mercenaries into the urban environment of Rio de Janeiro and other cities. In particular, authorities mention the use of high-capacity drones – with an estimated cost of around 20,000 dollars and a payload capacity of up to 80 kilograms – for transporting weapons, drugs, and equipment between areas controlled by the organization. The operational range of these devices, which could reach approximately 12 kilometers, would allow the creation of aerial logistical corridors, reducing the risk of police interception.
At the same time, nothing is being done internally to respond to this critical situation. The Brazilian government not only watches passively as organized crime grows stronger, but also focuses on punishing police officers and politicians who at least attempt to confront the terrorist factions through military means.
The result is a deeply concerning scenario: the gradual transformation of metropolitan areas into zones of parallel governance, where the State loses its monopoly on the use of force. If this trend continues, the risk of consolidating structures typical of a narco-state will cease to be a distant hypothesis and instead become part of the plausible horizon of contemporary Brazilian reality.
