A major police operation targeting the Comando Vermelho (CV) criminal group in Rio de Janeiro led to a violent shootout today. The confrontation occurred at Morro Dois Irmãos, leaving approximately 200 tourists stranded during their morning hike until the area was secured by authorities.
Among those trapped was Matilda Oliveira, a Portuguese tourist from Coimbra. She recounted that the group was observing the sunrise when their guides immediately instructed them to crouch and seek cover as the sound of intense gunfire erupted in the vicinity.
Despite the terrifying experience, Oliveira praised the professionalism of the guides, who kept the group safe throughout the ordeal. She noted that after the situation was stabilized by police, the group was able to descend safely, stating she would still recommend the trail.
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Local media reports indicate that authorities authorized the group’s descent around 7:20 AM. The primary target of the operation was drug trafficker Ednaldo Pereira Souza, known as “Dada,” who controls narcotics distribution in the tourist areas of Caraíva and Trancoso, Bahia.
Souza, who escaped from a prison in Bahia in 2024, allegedly aligned himself with the Comando Vermelho and had been hiding in the Rocinha favela. Security forces focused the operation on apprehending him within the densely populated community.
