A Rio de Janeiro influencer known as Penélope, or Japinha do CV, was shot dead during Brazil’s deadliest-ever police raid. Police said the 20-something woman was killed by a rifle shot to the face on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, during a major operation in Complexo do Alemão and Complexo da Penha favelas, areas run by the Comando Vermelho (Red Command) gang. Officials said 121 people died, including four police officers, in the raid called Operation Containment. The mission involved 2,500 police officers and was aimed at stopping the gang’s control in Rio.
Penélope ‘Japinha do CV’ shot dead in Rio police raid targeting Comando Vermelho gang
Penélope became famous on Instagram for posting pictures with rifles, drugs, and military vests. She had over 50,000 followers and was often called the “Muse of Crime.” Police said she helped guard escape routes and protect drug sale points for the Red Command gang in north Rio.At the time of her death, she was dressed in camouflage clothes, wearing a tactical vest and carrying rifle magazines. Her body was found near the main entrance of the favela after hours of heavy gunfire.Police said she resisted arrest and opened fire before being shot. Her Instagram account was deleted after her death.
Penélope’s glam gang life with guns and drugs ends in Brazil’s biggest police operation
The huge raid was led by Rio’s Civil and Military Police, using armored trucks and helicopters. Officials said the goal was to break the gang’s base and stop its expansion.Brazil’s Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski said the raid was planned by Rio’s state police without federal help. The UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk, called for an investigation into the “horrific scale” of killings.Also Read: Influencer Oti Cabadas Known As ‘Coco Trucker Girl’ Dies At 41 After Spain Truck Show EventEven with the high death toll, Penélope’s gang leader Edgard Alves de Andrade, known as Doca da Penha, escaped and is still on the run. Police are offering a reward of R$100,000 for information.Human rights groups called the raid a “massacre,” saying it turned poor Rio neighborhoods into war zones. The Marielle Franco Institute said, “This is not public safety. It’s a policy of extermination.”The clashes came just before Rio hosted the C40 World Mayors Summit and Prince William’s Earthshot Prize events, putting the city’s violence under global spotlight.
