On October 28, 2025, more than 2,500 police officers launched a massive raid on two favelas in Rio de Janeiro.
They were targeting leaders of Red Command, one of Brazil’s largest drug trafficking groups.
By the end of the day, more than 120 people were dead, making it Brazil's bloodiest police operation.
In the aftermath, police withdrew without securing the scene.
Bodies were left behind, and forensic teams never arrived.
Residents recovered the dead themselves, which erased critical evidence of what happened.
Through exclusive reporting, Fault Lines reconstructs the case of Douglas de Almeida da Silva, a father and small business owner shot by police that night.
Officers say he fired first, but forensic analysis and witness footage raise serious questions about their account.
The raid reflects a broader pattern in Rio, where police routinely fail to preserve crime scenes, undermining investigations and shielding officers from accountability.
Despite repeated deadly raids, gangs continue to control the favelas, raising questions about whether these operations curb the violence or simply add to it.
Credits
Producer / Director: Mark Scialla
Correspondent: Hind Hassan
Director of Photography: Rodrigo Galdos
Editor: Adrienne Haspel
Executive Producer: Laila Al-Arian
Local Producer: Matheus de Moura
Associate Producer: Mehr Sher
Translation: Isadora Quadros
Additional Production: Alan Lima, Egberto Ras, Leonardo Coelho
Legal: George Stephanopoulos
Colourist: Anna Stalter
Sound Mix: Luke Rohwer
Archivist: Shelley Simpson
Production Management: Anabelle Rojas
Security Advisor: Michel Khoury
Digital Producer: Riham Mansour
Special Thanks: Rafi Mustafa, Jaqueline Frizon, Pilar Tejerina, Ashkan Cheheltan, Flávia Palladino
Archive: AP, Jadson Marques, Leonardo Coelho
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