Suspected killers of anti-mafia prosecutor Marcelo Pecci captured in Medellín

Five people were arrested on Friday in Medellin, Colombia accused of being responsible for the death of Paraguayan prosecutor Marcelo Pecci, who was shot dead on May 10 during his honeymoon in Cartagena, Colombian, authorities reported.

According to preliminary information, the detainees were four Colombians and a Venezuelan who allegedly helped plan and execute the plan to assassinate Pecci, who was one of Paraguay's most important prosecutors for his investigations against transnational crime.

The operation carried out by Colombian agents in Envigado, Antioquia, a Colombian municipality very close to Medellín, was supported by Paraguayan agents and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

"We have captured all those allegedly involved, including the primary author in the murder of Paraguayan Prosecutor Marcelo Pecci," Colombian President Ivan Duque posted on his Twitter account.

En una operación de @PoliciaColombia, @FiscaliaCol y autoridades paraguayas, hemos capturado a todos los presuntos involucrados, incluyendo al autor material, del asesinato del Fiscal paraguayo Marcelo Pecci. Estos criminales están a disposición de un Juez de Control de Garantías pic.twitter.com/kFzqTt3WIk

— Iván Duque 🇨🇴 (@IvanDuque) June 3, 2022

The investigation carried out by the authorities of the three countries found that the perpetrators of the crime had stayed in the same hotel as Pecci and his wife, journalist Claudia Aguilera. According to the Colombian newspaper Semana, two of the killers captured on Friday reportedly stayed in the same hotel.

There is also information that the transaction to carry out this crime would have been around $120,000.

Colombian prosecutors said on Thursday that the Gulf Clan, Colombia's largest criminal gang with a strong presence in this area of the country, had joined forces with a major Medellin cartel and another illegal organization in Paraguay to assassinate the anti-Mafia prosecutor.

The investigation also found that the captured criminals belonged to the criminal organizations of Brazilian origin First Capital Command (PCC) and Red Command (CV), as well as Lebanese money launderers in the Triple Border with Brazil and Argentina.

In 2017, "drug baron" Jarvis Ximenes Pavao, who lived in a special luxury cell—including a Jacuzzi—in Asuncion's main prison, was extradited to Brazil prior to the transfer to his home country.

Sergio de Arruda Quintiliano Neto, alias Minotauro, known as a PCC leader on the Paraguayan-Brazilian border, was captured in the department of Camboriú, in 2019, in a procedure conducted by Pecci.

The investigation into the prosecutor's murder also points to Carlos Alberto de Lima Da Silva, alias Cascao, one of the leaders of the Comando Vermelho criminal group, which operates out of Rio de Janeiro's favelas. Lima Da Silva was captured and handed over to Brazilian authorities in 2019.

Pecci investigated major cases related to drug trafficking. Among them, the largest operation against cocaine trafficking in Paraguay, known as A Ultranza PY, which involved national deputies such as Juan Carlos Ozorio and Erico Galeano, both legislators of the "Honor Colorado" movement.

He also participated in the investigation of the crime of businessman Mauricio Schwartzman, and was also in charge of the investigation of the murder of Fátima Rejala, the woman who allegedly worked for the Insfrán clan, also investigated in Operation A Ultranza.

In March 2020, Marcelo Pecci and Osmar Legal carried out the investigation of the case involving the ex-football player Ronaldinho. He had entered our country for a charity activity with false documents.