Brazil: Police operation in outskirts of Varginha, Minas Gerais State, leaves at least 25 people dead Oct. 31

Event

Police carried out a major security operation targeting an armed criminal group in the outskirts of Varginha, Minas Gerais state, Oct. 31, resulting in the deaths of at least 25 people. The criminal group was reportedly planning a bank heist in the city. No civilians or police officers were injured or killed in the operation.

Context

The Oct. 31 police operation was one of Brazil's most deadly in months. The operation, along with another recent police raid in Rio de Janeiro that resulted in the deaths of at least 25 people in May, demonstrates the escalating lethality that security forces are willing to use to curb organized crime. Moreover, the extensive cache of materiel recovered in the Oct. 31 security operation (e.g., dozens of weapons and explosives, radio equipment, and stolen vehicles) highlights the increasing sophistication with which some of the country's criminal groups operate.

The criminal group connected with the Oct. 31 operation is suspected of being linked to other recent, high-profile attacks targeting financial institutions in Brazil, including an attack in Aracatuba, Sao Paulo State, that targeted multiple banks in late August. Criminals used civilians as human shields and placed explosives across Aracatuba during the attack, which resulted in two civilian deaths.

These incidents are part of a larger series of elaborate bank heists targeting financial institutions in southern Brazil. Notably, the attacks have followed a general pattern, with heavily armed criminals targeting banks near the end of the month, when they are perceived to hold larger sums of cash; the assaults typically attempt to overwhelm police with stunning displays of firepower.