USA mourns deaths and raises alert about Rio

In an official document, Washington praises the “courage” of agents after the operation in Alemão and Penha. The gesture comes as the Castro government seeks to classify the Red Command as “terrorists” in the United States, facing resistance from the Lula government

The public security crisis in Rio de Janeiro gained a new and complex international chapter this Tuesday (4/11). The United States government, under the administration of Donald Trump, sent an official letter directly to Rio’s Secretary of Public Security, Victor dos Santos.

In the document, the American government expresses deep regret for the recent deaths of four police officers and, significantly, makes the United States “available for any necessary support” in the fight against drug trafficking in the state.

The message, written in Washington and obtained exclusively by the Metrópoles column, is signed by James Sparks, an important figure in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the US Department of Justice. The text goes beyond protocol diplomacy, praising the “courage, dedication and sacrifice” of agents from Rio de Janeiro.

The letter arrives at one of the most sensitive moments for Rio’s security, right after the mega-operation against the Red Command in the Penha and Alemão complexes. It was in this action that the four police officers, honored by the Americans, “fell in the line of duty”.

Sparks’ document is direct in expressing solidarity and respect for the corporation:

“It is with deep sorrow that we express our most sincere condolences for the tragic loss of the four police officers who fell in the line of duty, during the recent Operation Containment in Complexo do Alemão.

We know that the mission of protecting society requires courage, dedication and sacrifice, and we recognize the value and honor of these professionals who gave their lives in defense of public safety.

In this moment of mourning, we reiterate our respect and admiration for the tireless work of the state’s security forces and make ourselves available for any support that may be necessary.

Receive, Mr. Secretary, our wishes of strength and consolation in the face of this irreparable loss. James Sparks, Drug Enforcement Administration.”

The offer of “support” from the United States, however, cannot be read in isolation and touches on a point of high tension between the Rio government and the federal government.

As this column had already found out, Cláudio Castro’s administration took the initiative to approach the Trump administration with a specific and audacious request: that Comando Vermelho (CV), the largest faction in the state, be formally classified by the US as a terrorist organization and suffer the international sanctions resulting from this designation.

The Rio government’s gesture seeks to raise the level of combat against the faction, treating it no longer as an internal security problem, but as a global threat.

However, Castro’s strategy faces direct resistance from the Planalto Palace. The Lula government has already publicly spoken out against the idea of ​​classifying drug trafficking factions as terrorists. For the federal government, such a measure would represent a dangerous “mismatch with what Brazilian legislation determines”, creating a complex legal impasse on how Brazil should frame and combat its own criminal organizations.

Washington’s letter, therefore, is more than a note of condolence. It is a piece that moves on a delicate geopolitical board, where the tragic loss of life in Rio meets the international strategy to combat drugs and Brazil’s deep internal political differences.

With information from Paulo Cappelli*