24-year-old police officer shot dead during patrol against illegal mining in Pataz
Subofficer José Antonio Castillo Rodríguez was struck by a gunshot to the head in the La Porfiria sector. His mother reported that officers were operating without adequate weapons against criminals armed with AKM rifles.
Police officer killed in gunfire during patrol in mining zone of La Libertad
A subofficer of the National Police of Peru died after receiving a gunshot to the head during a preventive patrol in the La Porfiria sector, Pataz province, La Libertad region. The victim was identified as José Antonio Castillo Rodríguez, 24 years old, according to infobae.com.
According to the 24 Horas newscast on Panamericana, officers were carrying out verification work following an alert about the presence of armed individuals who allegedly planned to attack residents in the area. It was in this context that they came under fire from the upper part of a hill.
The National Police chief confirmed that during the operation there was a confrontation with criminal gangs operating in that jurisdiction. Castillo Rodríguez received a bullet impact that left him gravely wounded. His colleagues rushed him to a healthcare facility, where medical staff confirmed his death.
"I no longer wanted to be in the highlands"
The subofficer's mother, Jeny Rodríguez Rebaza, remembered her son as a cheerful young man committed to his work. She revealed that, days before his death, Castillo Rodríguez had told her of his intention to request a transfer to Trujillo.
"My son, fifteen days ago, told me that he was going to ask for his transfer because he no longer wanted to be in the highlands, as there had been many attacks," said Rodríguez Rebaza.
The mother also denounced the disparity in weaponry between police officers and the criminal groups operating in Pataz. She noted that her colleagues attended confrontations armed with only one or two shotguns, while the attackers possessed AKM rifles and long-range weapons.
"Many times they attended armed attacks armed with only one or two shotguns, while the attackers had their AKMs," she said.
A relative of the fallen officer described him as a young single man eager to succeed. "He was a young man, single, full of life, eager to get ahead. A good brother, a good son. He is remembered with great affection," the relative said.
Official condolences and parallel operation
The National Police of Peru expressed its condolences through its social media and indicated that Castillo Rodríguez lost his life in a confrontation with individuals linked to illegal mining. The Government also expressed its regret and extended its condolences to the relatives and colleagues of the officer.
As part of operations in the area, officers from Chagual Police Station, DINOES, FEC, GRECO and DIVOPESP entered a mining pit and detained three alleged members of the criminal organisation Los Malditos de JP: Gian Arnold Colque Lajo, 27 years old; Manuel Alexander Zerpa Oroporte, 31; and Cristian Taype Boza, 26.
During that intervention, authorities seized 275 units of carmex with fuse, 174 Famesa brand Emulnor 3000 explosives, 413 rounds of .223 calibre ammunition and a mobile telephone. The three detainees are being investigated for alleged illegal possession of ammunition and explosives, homicide by firearm projectile and membership in a criminal organisation. The procedure was overseen by provincial prosecutor Enrique Valverde Cabrera.
Castillo Rodríguez's death adds to a series of violent episodes recorded in Pataz, a province where illegal mining and the presence of armed groups represent a persistent challenge for security forces and the civilian population.
Source: Google News PE — Crime