The team are looking into video showing plumes of smoke rising over Rio De Janeiro, after at least 64 people were killed in fighting between a major Brazilian gang and police
Officials say the Red Command attacked officers with guns and drone-dropped bombs, we've profiled the notorious gang and are speaking to experts about their tactics
Plus we're continuing to examine footage of the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa on Jamaica, which has devastated the island
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Edited by Adam Durbin
Kayleen Devlin
BBC Verify senior journalist
We’re looking into the violence that erupted yesterday in Rio de Janeiro, in which at least 64 people have been reportedly killed following a massive police anti-gang raid targeting the Comando Vermelho (Red Command) group – one of Brazil's biggest crime and drug gangs.
Violent scenes are reported to have broken out in the north of the city – and the region’s governor has said four of the dead are police officers. In one video posted by the Rio government, there’s a video of a drone which they claimed was used by criminals to attack police officers, external in the Penha area of the city.
A reverse image search of the clip shows it was only posted online yesterday, but there are not enough details in the video that would allow us to identify its precise location.
Comando Vermelho is one of Brazil’s oldest criminal groups. They moved into the cocaine trade in the 1980s and while they originated in Rio, they have since grown into a major transnational drug trafficking organisation.
Earlier this year, I spoke to an indigenous leader from Peru who told me that the group were known to operate in the Ucayali region of the Peruvian Amazon as well.
Just last week, a report was released by Amazon Underworld claiming that the group had successfully entered areas of coca production on multiple parts of the Peruvian Amazon, as well as also operating in large swathes of the Brazilian Amazon too.
Adam Durbin
BBC Verify Live editor
Good morning from BBC Verify Live.
We’re looking into videos showing smoke plumes over Rio de Janeiro, after at least 64 people were killed in clashes between Brazilian police and a notorious drug gang yesterday according to the region’s governor. More than 2,500 officers were involved in a massive police operation against the Red Command, who officials say responded with gunfire and drone-dropped munitions. We’ll be bringing you a profile of the major crime group shortly – and we’re speaking to experts about the drone claims.
Our team are also continuing to verify social media footage showing the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa damage in Jamaica, after the storm ravaged the island. The Caribbean island’s prime minister has declared a “disaster area” and warned of “devastating impacts”, footage of which is continuing to emerge on social media. The hurricane has now moved onto Cuba and will head north-east towards the Bahamas and Bermuda.
Plus, our fact-checkers are examining the UK government ministers claims this morning about deportations and migrant removals – and later tuning in to Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons.
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