These men of BOPE are probably the premier Urban Warfare Units in the world. Enjoy the pics
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The sign of Special Police Operations Battalion (BOPE) is displayed on a truck in a slum, or favela, in the area of Copacabana where fighting between the police and drug dealers is continuing on December 7, 2009 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Members of Special Police Operations Battalion (BOPE) participate in a mission in the alleys of a slum, or favela, in the area of Copacabana where fighting between the police and drug dealers is continuing on December 7, 2009 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is estimated that there are over 1,000 favelas in Rio where violent crime is rampant. The police are attempting a softer touch in many favelas by participating in community policing after they clear the area of drug gangs. It is believed that the police want to continue with these programs citywide ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games. As Brazil prepares to host the 2016 Summer Olympics international scrutiny is falling on Rio de Janeiro`s favelas where over 5,000 people were murdered last year alone. In the last week violence in tourist areas has increased as drug gangs are increasingly reacting to an increased police presence in the favelas. In figures released Tuesday by the IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística) statistics agency it was found that an average of 68 young Brazilian men died violently each day between 1998 and 2008. These numbers included murder, traffic accidents and gang violence involving the police. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images)