Brazilian police kill 25 people in warlike operation against criminal group

The criminal raids, which have been striking even in a country long inured to crime and violence, follow a certain script. Near the end of the month, when the banks are full of cash, dozens of heavily armed gang members storm a midsize city at night, setting off explosives, shooting their weapons into the air and lighting cars on fire. Criminal analysts here say the idea is to overwhelm authorities with an overpowering display of force.