The Bolivian authorities confirmed this Wednesday the apprehension of the main suspect in the murder of two police officers and a civil agent in an armed attack that occurred the day before in the eastern region of Santa Cruz, which is still under investigation.
The Minister of Government (Interior), Eduardo del Castillo, announced on his social networks that Misael NV, "main defendant in the murder of two police officers and a GACIP volunteer (the Civil Support Group for the Bolivian Police)".
will be put to "provision of justice where he will have to answer for the crimes committed"he added.
The general commander of the Bolivian Police, Jhonny Aguilera, pointed out that it is believed that the subject is the main person involved in the violent death of the three uniformed men due to various indications found in the first investigations.
The man "has been linked to this murder because inside the truck in which they have moved to cause the death of the police" a fuel purchase invoice was found "registered in your name"Aguilera told the media.
In various operations carried out during this day, a shed was also found that apparently belongs to Misael NV where the truck was, in addition to numerous quadricycles that were allegedly used by others involved in the event, according to the police chief.
Aguilera confirmed that Misael NV is the son-in-law of Bolivian drug trafficker Jesús Einar Lima Lobo Dorado, considered a "fat fish" that he had links with Brazilian and Colombian cartels and that he was extradited to Brazil last year, although those involved in the murder of the agents have no record of drug trafficking.
PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS
Police sergeants Eustaquio Olano and Alfonso Chávez and volunteer David Candia, from GACIP, were shot dead on Tuesday in the municipality of Porongo, some 54 kilometers from the city of Santa Cruz.
The first investigations indicate that Misael NV and some relatives had called for a quad race in the following days and that on Tuesday they were exercising for that competition near the place where the event occurred, Aguilera said.
The policemen were patrolling the area and their car suffered a malfunction, before which they were helped by a mechanic, by Candia and a third policeman.
When they managed to overcome the mishap, they met the drivers of the quadricycles and "intervene in front of these subjects"who had possibly consumed alcoholic beverages and "other types of substances"according to Aguilera.
The agents were initially attacked with stones and responded by launching pepper spray, which was probably the trigger for the subjects to go look for weapons to kill them, he added.
The skills carried out on this day allowed to establish "that the shots have been from top to bottom and from front to back"which means that the agents "they were kneeling and with their hands on the ground" when they were killed, Aguilera explained.
Some clues were obtained from the testimonies of the mechanic and the policeman who managed to escape.
At the scene, 17 5.56 and 7.62 caliber bullet casings were collected, corresponding to "long weapons for military use"according to the police chief.
So far, five properties have been seized, four vehicles have been seized and "sealed" 20 quadricycles, among other actions, detailed Aguilera.
Along with Misael NV were at least three other people, two of them Colombians, one already detained, who are also suspected of participating in the crime.
According to Aguilera, the number of those involved is not yet defined, but at least eleven people have to appear to testify for this event, including Misael NV
The event has shocked the country and generated criticism from opponents who considered it to be related in some way to drug trafficking.
