"El Rana" enters Santiago 1 prison under maximum security over subofficial Naín's homicide
Carlos Cancino Tapia, accused of the homicide of Subofficial Eugenio Naín in 2020, was transferred from Valdivia to Santiago 1 prison with GOPE escort and aerial surveillance.
Defendant in carabinero homicide enters capital detention centre after six years on the run
Carlos Esteban Cancino Tapia, known as "El Rana", entered the Santiago 1 Preventive Detention Centre on Tuesday at 18.10 hours, according to latercera.com. The transfer was carried out from Valdivia under a large operation headed by the Gendarmería and supported by specialised Carabineros units.
The convoy entered the Metropolitan Region at 17.38 hours. Throughout the journey, members of the Special Police Operations Group (GOPE), Patrol Radio personnel and a police helicopter provided ground escort and aerial surveillance. No incidents were recorded during the operation.
In parallel, Carabineros reinforced security at the prison facility with territorial personnel, officials from the Police Investigation Section (SIP) and Public Order Control teams (COP).
Remand in custody ordered in Temuco
The transfer took place after the Temuco Guarantee Court ordered Cancino Tapia's remand in custody for his alleged involvement in the homicide of Corporal Eugenio Naín, which occurred on 30 October 2020 in the municipality of Padre Las Casas. The court found that his release represented a danger to public safety.
Cancino remained at large for six years until he was located and arrested on 15 July in Valdivia. During his capture, there was an armed confrontation with GOPE personnel in which two police officers and the defendant himself were wounded. The bullet wounds he suffered kept Cancino hospitalised under guard at Valdivia Base Hospital, which is why his formal proceedings were postponed and eventually conducted by videoconference.
The court set a 45-day investigation period for the Public Prosecutor's office to conclude pending proceedings against Cancino and co-defendant Francisco Painevilo Maldonado, arrested in April and already formally charged, in order to present a joint indictment before the oral trial.
Previous conviction and protection network under investigation
For this same case, in December 2023, Luis Kallfulican Tranamil Nahuel was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
High Complexity Prosecutor Carlos Bustos reported that the Public Prosecutor's office is also developing a parallel investigation to identify those who allegedly provided shelter and support to Cancino during the six years he remained at large. If such collaboration is proven, those involved could face charges of accessory after the fact.
Death of Corporal Marcos Cosme
One of the officers wounded during Cancino's capture was First Corporal Marcos Cosme, a member of the La Araucanía GOPE, who was struck by a serious gunshot wound and died days later from his injuries. Carabineros posthumously promoted him to the rank of Senior Subofficial.
His funeral was held on Monday in Hualaihué, in the Los Lagos Region, with the presence of the Director General of Carabineros, Marcelo Araya, relatives of the officer and GOPE personnel.
In addition to the case involving the homicide of Eugenio Naín, Cancino must answer for offences arising from the armed confrontation recorded during his arrest, an investigation being conducted in parallel in the Los Ríos Region.
Source: Google News CL — Santiago