Two Brazilian PCC members arrested in Santa Cruz for double murder
Bolivian police arrested two Brazilian citizens linked to the PCC for killing two compatriots in Santa Cruz. A Bolivian was also detained.
PCC members captured in Santa Cruz accused of double crime
Two Brazilian citizens linked to the criminal organisation Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) were arrested in Santa Cruz accused of murdering two people of their same nationality in the context of drug trafficking, correodelsur.com reported on Thursday. A Bolivian was also apprehended alongside them.
The detainees are Enrique Almeida Jiménez, 25, and Daniel Gómez Martínez, 28. The police commander, Adrián Álvarez, confirmed at a press conference that both "belong to the PCC", information validated with Brazil's Federal Police, and that they have criminal records for trafficking in controlled substances, organised crime and contract killings.
The investigation established that the two Brazilians were the "material authors" of the double crime, reported nearly three weeks ago. The discovery of two firearms, ammunition and a vehicle "in which they fled after perpetrating" the crime supported this conclusion, according to Álvarez's explanation.
President Rodrigo Paz announced earlier the capture of a "high-ranking PCC member" sought in Brazil for "drug trafficking, arms trafficking and organised crime" and with a pending ten-year sentence. "It was an intelligence operation, in coordination with Brazil's Federal Police," wrote Paz on the social network X.
For several months, contract killings have become recurring in border areas with Brazil, in regions such as Santa Cruz, Beni and Pando — the latter also bordering Peru — a situation that led the Government to deploy the Army and elite units.
The authorities attribute the escalation of violence to a territorial dispute between the PCC and the Comando Vermelho (CV), another Brazilian criminal organisation, over control of Bolivian drug trafficking routes.
In response, police reinforced patrols in Santa Cruz in recent hours with more than 200 officers. Commander Álvarez also announced that coordination would take place with the Armed Forces to execute joint security operations in the region.
Source: Google News BO — La Paz