Adrián Solís, suspected mastermind of 'China Polo' murder, arrested in Venezuela with no extradition possibility
Venezuelan Adrián Solís Ruiz was arrested on 9 October in Guárico state, accused of organising the contract killing of candidate Susy Aponte Polo. Venezuela does not extradite its nationals.
Arrested in Venezuela, but beyond reach of Peruvian justice
The suspected mastermind of the criminal organisation that carried out the murder of political candidate and journalist Susy Aponte Polo—known as 'China Polo'—was arrested on 9 October in Venezuela, according to elcomercio.pe. However, his transfer to Peru faces an insurmountable legal obstacle: the Venezuelan Constitution prohibits the extradition of its own nationals.
This is Adrián Solís Ruiz, of Venezuelan nationality according to police sources, identified as the organiser of the criminal network hired to murder Aponte Polo, a digital news journalist who was standing as a candidate for regional governor of Áncash in the 2026 Regional and Municipal Elections. The murder was carried out on 19 September during a political campaign walk by the candidate in Caraz.
A traffic accident exposed him
The arrest of Solís Ruiz was not the result of a planned operation against him. On 30 September he was involved in a traffic accident while travelling by bus with Alejandra Toro Montezuma and her young daughter towards Portuguesa state. Both women died as a result of the impact. Solís fled the medical centre to which he had been taken, disregarding the death of his partner and the child.
After escaping, he travelled to Guárico state, where he was apprehended by the Bolivarian National Police. Officers found firearm ammunition among his belongings, a circumstance that led to his detention. He was not arrested for the crime committed in Peru, but caught in the act of an alleged offence related to the control and disarming of weapons, according to Venezuelan legislation.
Solís's role in the candidate's murder
Images from surveillance cameras place him alongside Alejandra Toro at the lodgings where hitman Luis Obispo Díaz and Ricardo Morocho also stayed. Both travelled to Huaraz and later to Caraz with the aim of murdering Aponte Polo. According to police sources, Solís would have coordinated the movements and managed the exact location of the candidate before the attack was carried out.
Luis Obispo was arrested after the murder. Wounded during interrogations, he declared that it was Adrián Solís Ruiz who hired him for the attack, offering him up to 15,000 soles. However, the instructions reached him through an intermediary known as 'the Old Man' or 'Pure', according to his own account.
False identity to obstruct the investigation
In Peruvian territory, Solís Ruiz operated under the name Adrián Azuaje Solís, a false identity that formed part of his strategy to hinder inquiries. His partner Alejandra Toro employed the same tactic, according to police sources told to elcomercio.pe.
This circumstance explains, in part, why Solís did not have an international arrest warrant at the time of the events: his real identity was not fully known by Peruvian authorities. Within less than a month since the crime he was twice close to being detained, before finally being arrested in Venezuela.
Venezuela will not hand over its nationals
Article 69 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela prevents the extradition of Venezuelan citizens, a restriction that applies directly to the case of Solís Ruiz once his identity and nationality are confirmed. Police sources explained to El Comercio that this rule would block any request for delivery to Peruvian authorities.
The National Police of Peru (PNP) informed this morning, through an official statement, that it maintains coordination with Venezuelan authorities within the framework of international police cooperation. "Through INTERPOL it seeks to fully establish the identity of the detainee and determine his alleged participation in the crime of qualified homicide through contract killing, in coordination with the Public Ministry and the competent authorities," the institution stated.
Sources from Dirincri indicated that investigators are closely monitoring Solís Ruiz's profile given his level of involvement in the case, which remains open. The central question that still lacks an answer is what concrete actions Peruvian authorities will be able to adopt against a suspect detained abroad for a different offence and protected by the constitutional prohibition on extradition from his country of origin.
Source: Google News PE — Crime