The governor of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro (PL), announced the beginning of a statewide operation to dismantle barricades erected by drug traffickers in favelas—structures that have become one of the clearest symbols of organized crime’s territorial dominance. The initiative was launched on Thursday (13/11) during a meeting with mayors from the three regions most affected by the issue: Baixada Fluminense, the capital, and the eastern portion of the state, including São Gonçalo, Itaboraí, and nearby cities. The action comes on the heels of the large-scale police operation that left 121 dead in the Alemão and Penha complexes on October 28. The program was inspired by a similar measure implemented in Belford Roxo, in Baixada Fluminense.
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What are they?
Barricades are typically built by criminal groups using burned vehicles, stones, barrels, piles of garbage, and even segments of train tracks. These structures obstruct the movement of millions of people and form a core element of the territorial control strategy used by armed factions, preventing or delaying the entry of security forces. Their removal involves four state secretariats—Environment, Infrastructure, Cities, and Agriculture—which supply the necessary machinery and teams. Police units accompany the work to ensure safety. Once dismantled, the trenches and holes created by traffickers are filled with concrete and asphalt to prevent their reconstruction.
Operations Notice
According to the state government, removing barricades acts as an initial warning to criminal groups. Should these structures be rebuilt, the authorities plan to carry out more forceful operations involving elite police units such as BOPE (Special Operations Battalion) and CORE (Special Operations Coordination). The goal is to free residents from what officials describe as an “empire of fear” imposed by organized crime. The government believes that the major operation carried out two weeks earlier placed the factions on the defensive for the first time in years.
Critical Locations
Data from the Military Police shows that, up to October, 4,400 tons of debris were removed, and 2,300 streets were cleared. Reports of barricades made to the anonymous tip line rose by 50.5% between January and October compared to the same period in 2024, increasing from 6,908 to 10,393 complaints. Although the issue affects the entire Metropolitan Region, authorities consider the situation most severe in São Gonçalo and São João de Meriti, where armed groups and territorial disputes generate a higher concentration of obstructions. São Gonçalo, largely controlled by the Red Command (CV), accounted for 34.12% of the reports filed in 2025, followed by Rio and São João de Meriti. In 2024, São Gonçalo ranked third, behind Rio and São João de Meriti.
Barricade Mentor
A new stage of “Operation Containment” was launched on Tuesday (18/11), focusing on countering the territorial advance of the Red Command. According to the Civil Police, the objective is to weaken the faction’s financial and logistical network. One of the targets was the individual known as the “Barricade Mentor,” responsible for financing and supplying materials used to build the barriers. Police reported the arrest of 21 people. The “Barricade Mentor” was identified as Cosme Rogério Ferreira Dias, who claimed to be a businessman in the recycling sector but, according to investigators, acted as a financial operator for the criminal organization, conducting money laundering and providing logistical support for drug trafficking. Investigations indicate that part of the funds used to construct and maintain barricades came from the receiving and resale of stolen copper and other metals.
Analysis:
The statewide initiative to remove barricades in Rio de Janeiro marks a significant escalation in the government’s strategy to confront territorial domination by organized crime. These obstructions are more than physical barriers; they symbolize the capacity of armed factions to control mobility, limit state presence, and dictate daily life in entire communities. By coordinating multiple state secretariats alongside police units, the administration aims to disrupt not only the visible structures but also the logistical routines that sustain criminal influence.
Clearing streets and filling trenches serve as both a practical measure and a political message: the state intends to reassert authority where it has historically been contested. The decision to deploy elite units such as BOPE and CORE in cases where barricades are rebuilt shows that the government is preparing for sustained confrontation, particularly in municipalities like São Gonçalo and São João de Meriti.
Sources: Extra [1], [2], [3]; O Globo [1], [2]; A Folha de SP [1], [2].
