Why US went ahead with sniper rifle sale to Brazil police despite its deadly record

The guns arrived in Brazil in 2024 after months of debate inside the US State Department about whether the sale should go ahead.

Who was killed

BOPE played a central role in a major police raid in Rio de Janeiro last week that left 121 people dead, including four police officers.

The raid, which authorities said targeted heavily armed drug gangs, drew condemnation from human rights groups and UN experts, who said some of the killings may have been unlawful.

Official data from the Brazilian Public Safety Forum shows Rio police including BOPE were responsible for 703 deaths in 2023 alone. Reuters could not confirm whether the newly imported US rifles were used in the latest raid.

Why it’s happening

Documents seen by Reuters show that Elizabeth Bagley, then US ambassador to Brazil, and other diplomats had opposed the rifle sale, saying BOPE had a poor record on human rights. A State Department memo from January 2024 described the unit as “among the most notorious police units in Brazil in regard to killings of civilians.”

Despite those concerns, the deal went through. One of its strongest backers was Ricardo Pita, then a senior staffer in the Republican-controlled US House Foreign Affairs Committee. Pita is now a senior adviser for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the State Department.

After joining the department, Pita reportedly asked who had opposed the deal. Some officials told Reuters they were surprised by his persistence, given that such arms sales were a small part of his portfolio.

A State Department spokesperson told Reuters: “We remain committed to ensuring that our partners have what they need to fight vicious criminals.”

Human rights record under scrutiny

A 2023 State Department human rights report said there was a “persistent pattern of impunity for police operations in Rio,” which often led to accusations of excessive force, unlawful killings, and denial of medical care to injured suspects.

The same January 2024 memo also cited the “Vila Cruzeiro massacre” of 2022, when BOPE officers were accused of killing 23 people in a single raid.

Some officers from the unit have also faced prosecution for alleged links to organised crime groups known as “militias,” who control parts of Rio through extortion rackets.

Public support remains high

Despite criticism from rights groups, BOPE remains popular among residents frustrated with gang violence. A poll by AtlasIntel showed that 55% of Brazilians supported last week’s operation, with approval rising to 62% in Rio state, Reuters said.

Last year, 55 Rio police officers were killed in violent incidents, according to official data.