Special forces in Rio de Janeiro moved quickly as they looked in windows and knocked on doors in Rocinha, the city's biggest shantytown, on Monday.
On Sunday, 3,000 troops seized control of the hilltop favela without firing a single shot. The special forces operation was part of the effort to eliminate drug gangs and secure Rio de Janeiro before the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, reports CNN.
Meanwhile, it was business as usual for many of Rocinha's 100,000 residents. Motorcycle taxis zipped up and down the winding roads, while food stalls displayed strings of onions and garlic.
Although Rocinha's top drug trafficker, Antonio Francisco Bomfim, was captured by police last week, the hard work still lies ahead. Tangled masses of electrical wires dangle over houses and mountains of trash line the streets, according to CNN.
"Before this was called a favela because it was full of criminals," said Juliete, 18. "Now things have to be done to call it a neighborhood. We need running water, proper sewage and things for young people to do."
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