Brazil's new anti-gang law: Can it curb organized crime?

One year after the deadliest police operation in Brazil's history, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned the country's authorities. During "Operacao Contencao" on October 28, 2025, 2,500 police officers were deployed to the favelas of Complexo do Alemao and Complexo da Penha to arrest members of the Comando Vermelho drug cartel.

However, only about a quarter of the officers wore body cameras and some of their footage was manipulated. Not a single shooting was recorded on camera. HRW also found many bodies with signs of execution - 40% were shot in the head and 75% in the back. The operation was designed to be lethal, according to HRW director Cesar Munoz.

This led to the implementation of the "Anti-gang Law" (Lei Antifaccao) in March 2026, aiming to combat criminal gangs like Comando Vermelho and PCC, as well as militias made up of corrupt officers and soldiers. The law addresses real issues such as the expansion of criminal organizations' control over territories, funds, and economic activities, and the need for closer cooperation between state security agencies.

However, the law raises concerns about constitutional issues, including automatic pretrial detention, expanded grounds for arrest, restrictions on prison conditions, and the cancellation of prison assistance benefits. These measures could exacerbate Brazil's prison overcrowding problem and allow criminal factions to recruit new members.

To address this, HRW and the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety (FBSP) call for preventing gang recruitment of young people and providing new prospects for those who have committed crimes, in line with the principle that punishments should not extend beyond the convicted person.