TeriFanguy
Paraguay At least 75 suspects are suspected of being warded by guards who escape from prison near the Brazilian border, including notorious gang members.
Paraguay authorities on January 19 discovered a tunnel inside a prison in the town of Pedro Juan Caballero near the Brazilian border, but suspected it was used to cover up the prison escape campaign with the help of a prisoner. They believe that many prisoners have been sent by guards to the prison's main gate.
Police guard the entrance to Pedro Juan Caballero prison in Paraguay Photo: AP
Paraguayan Interior Minister Euclides Acevedo said prison officials were clearly involved, adding that intelligence allowed prisoners to escape in small groups over the past few days and what happened when Prison director is on leave.
Prison director Pedro Juan Caballero and six guards were dismissed after the incident, according to Paraguayan Justice Minister Cecilia Perez.
"It was a long campaign and the supervisors couldn't help but realize they were trying to escape. Clearly this was a paid plan," Perez told local radio.
Among the prisoners escaping is the members of the First Capital Command (PCC), the most notorious and most organized criminal group in Brazil.
The border area near Pedro Juan Caballero is considered a transshipment point for drugs and other criminal activities conducted by gangs like PCC and Comando Vermelho of Brazil.
The Paraguay government said it had warned the Brazilian federal police about the escape, but the defected prisoners were thought to be still in Paraguay territory. "This area has a lot of jungle and they are in the area, these are extremely dangerous people," said Sandra Quinonez, the Attorney General of Paraguay.
The state government of Mato Grosso do Sul of Brazil, which borders Paraguay, said it had tightened security along the border. Brazilian Justice Minister Sergio Moro said he was willing to help Paraguay catch escaped criminals and worked with the state government to prevent them from returning to Brazil. "If they return here, they will immediately receive a ticket to the federal prison," Moro said on Twitter.
