The police in Rio de Janeiro entered a heavily fortified shantytown on Thursday in an effort to arrest drug gang leaders they blamed for five days of widespread violence. Officers made it into the shantytown, Vila Cruzeiro, despite efforts by the gangs to stop them by burning vehicles in their path. Live television images showed dozens of heavily armed youths setting up positions and preparing to battle the police, who are being supported by Brazilian marines in six armored personnel carriers.
