Manaus, a city of 1.8 million, is capital of northwestern Brazil's state of Amazonas. The city is known for its beaches, but its poorer sections have a reputation for violent street crime, illicit drug trade, and opportunistic thefts and robberies. In January, the Anisio Jobim prison on the city's outskirts was the site of clashes between rival drug gangs that left at least 60 inmates dead.