BRAZIL POLICE PUSH INTO SLUMS IN RIO

• Special operations battalion Police officers take position during an operation to occupy the Nova Holanda, part of the Mare slum complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, March 30, 2014. The Mare complex of slums, home to about 130,000 people and located near the international airport, is the latest area targeted for the government's "pacification" program, which sees officers move in, push out drug gangs and set up permanent police posts. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
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  Navy armored vehicles are seen during sunrise at a police operation to occupy the Nova Holanda, part of the Mare slum complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, March 30, 2014. The Mare complex of slums, home to about 130,000 people and located near the international airport, is the latest area targeted for the government's "pacification" program, which sees officers move in, push out drug gangs and set up permanent police posts. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
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  A Special operations battalion Police officer takes position during an operation to occupy the Nova Holanda, part of the Mare slum complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, March 30, 2014. The Mare complex of slums, home to about 130,000 people and located near the international airport, is the latest area targeted for the government's "pacification" program, which sees officers move in, push out drug gangs and set up permanent police posts. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — About 1,000 Brazilian police officers have begun invading a massive complex of slums near Rio de Janeiro's international airport, the latest impoverished area to be targeted for the government's "pacification" program.

The security effort began in 2008 and is meant to help secure Rio before this year's World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

Armored personnel carriers on loan from the Navy were used during the push into the Mare complex of shantytowns before dawn Sunday. Army soldiers are expected to start patrolling the area in the coming days.

Mare has been dominated by drug gangs for decades. In recent months, they have attacked police outposts in other slums, a direct challenge to security ahead of Brazil's big events.

To date, there have been 37 police "pacification" outposts created in Rio.