The United States government approved the export of 20 sniper rifles to Brazil's elite BOPE police unit in Rio de Janeiro last year, despite internal objections from the U.S. ambassador and diplomats citing risks of extrajudicial killings, according to a Reuters investigation based on three current and former U.S. officials and reviewed documents. The rifles, manufactured by Georgia-based Daniel Defence LLC and valued at approximately $150,000, were purchased in a May 2023 deal but delivered only in 2024 amid State Department debates. BOPE, the Special Police Operations Battalion known for high-risk favela operations, played a central role in Operation Containment last week in Rio's Penha and Alemão complexes, where at least 121 people died—including 117 suspected gang members and four officers—marking Brazil's deadliest police raid on record.

A January 2024 State Department memo, seen by Reuters, recommended blocking the sale, describing BOPE as "among the most notorious police units in Brazil in regard to killings of civilians" and referencing its involvement in the 2022 Vila Cruzeiro massacre that killed 23. Then-Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley and human rights officials opposed the transfer, but it proceeded under U.S. export laws requiring government approval for firearms, with the Commerce Department issuing the final license after State Department input. Accompanying suppressors from Wisconsin-based Griffin Armament were initially blocked and reportedly not delivered. Officials noted such sales are often approved to prevent recipients from sourcing elsewhere, and BOPE has previously imported at least 800 U.S.-made rifles while serving as primary protection for American interests in Rio.

The October 28, 2025, raid targeted the Comando Vermelho drug gang, involving 2,500 officers, armoured vehicles, and helicopters in a planned ambush that drove suspects into forested areas. Rio police reported seizing one tonne of drugs and 93 rifles and arresting 133, but residents and activists decried it as a "massacre", with bodies lined up in streets and allegations of excessive force. Governor Cláudio Castro called it a success against "narcoterrorism", while President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva demanded an independent probe, and the UN criticised lethal tactics in marginalised communities. BOPE's skull-and-knife emblem and history of controversy, including accusations of death-squad tactics, amplify scrutiny over U.S. arms fuelling Brazil's police violence, where Rio forces killed 703 in 2024 alone.

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This sale highlights ongoing tensions in U.S. foreign arms policy, balancing security cooperation with human rights concerns amid Brazil's urban drug wars. While not the first U.S. weapons transfer to BOPE, the timing—post-delivery and pre-raid—raises questions about accountability, especially as suppressors remain unconfirmed. Neither Daniel Defence, Griffin Armament, Rio police, nor involved U.S. agencies commented, but the episode underscores broader debates on militarised policing in Latin America, where U.S.-sourced gear often equips units accused of abuses.

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