Ministerio Público

Jorge Daniel Samudio, known as 'Freddie Mercury', was detained along with two other men, including a retired non-commissioned officer of the Armed Forces, suspected of robbing two gas stations in Limpio, Central Department. Police seized a vehicle, a pistol, and ammunition.

A Hyundai I10 caught fire on Monday night in the General Bernardino Caballero neighborhood of Encarnación. Volunteer firefighters controlled the flames and no one was injured. The owner, Diana Silvero, attributed the fire to a mechanical defect.

Lawyers filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Office against former IPS president Jorge Brítez and eight other former members of the Board of Directors for alleged irregularities in five tenders totaling more than G. 391 billion.

A Brazilian mechanic was shot dead on Monday (18) in the María Victoria neighborhood of Pedro Juan Caballero, Amambay Department. The forensic report confirmed that the victim sustained 10 bullet impacts, fired from a 5.56 mm rifle and a 9 mm pistol. The case is under investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the National Police.

Paraguay's Public Ministry has charged suspended peace judge Carmen Analía Cibils and former judge Nathalia Garcete in two new cases related to the scheme known as the 'promissory note mafia'. The accusations include malfeasance, document forgery, and false notifications, expanding the scope of the investigation that was already in the oral trial phase.

Lawyers Juan José Bernis and María Muñoz filed a criminal complaint against the former president of the Institute of Social Welfare (IPS), Jorge Brítez, and other former directors, for alleged irregularities in five tenders totaling G. 391,574,472,965. The action was filed with the Public Prosecutor's Office and points to breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds.

Deputy Lilian Samaniego (PLRA) denied assaulting anyone during an incident in Quyquyhó, stating that he returned to the scene to calm a fight after being informed that one of his aides was being attacked. Videos of the incident circulated on social media, but so far no formal complaints have been filed.

Paraguay's Public Ministry on Monday requested a 6-year prison sentence for former sports executive Ramón González Daher, accused of lying under oath in 2021 during a defamation lawsuit filed by Conmebol president Alejandro Domínguez. The defense claims the defendant invented a voluntary resignation from the vice presidency of the Paraguayan Football Association (APF), but official documents show he was removed for failing a fitness exam.

Judge Yoan Paul López ordered the opening of oral and public trial against a man accused of installing GPS, microphones and hidden cameras to surveil his ex-partner, in addition to illegally accessing her devices and storing pornographic material involving a 17-year-old adolescent.

State Attorney General Emiliano Rolón removed Deputy Attorney María Soledad Machuca from the Specialized Unit for Economic Crimes and Anti-Corruption and the Money Laundering Unit, following questions about alleged shelving of emblematic cases. Nancy Salomón takes over the position.

Hernán Adolar Schlender, former mayor of Jesús de Tavarangüé (ANR), has been a fugitive since October 2025, accused of using Fonacide funds to launder drug trafficking money. Former accountant Zenón Cáceres Duarte was sentenced to four years in prison, with the sentence confirmed in March. The estimated loss to the municipality is G. 7.418 billion.

César Adrián Medina, 31, was arrested by the National Police in downtown Asunción after a report of theft of car emblems. Four Toyota logos and two table knives, allegedly used to remove the accessories, were found with him. Police are investigating the origin of the objects and possible receiving of stolen goods.

Arnaldo Andrés Lezcano Ramírez, 20, was detained by the National Police after punching referee Jorge Junior Villalba Ortíez in the face, causing a cheekbone fracture. The assault occurred at the end of a match of the Liga Caaguazú de Futebol, at the Club 8 de Diciembre field in the Santa Isabel neighborhood. The player attempted to flee but was captured a few blocks away and remains at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor's Office.

Paraguay's Attorney General, Emiliano Rolón Fernández, removed Jorge Sosa García from the position of deputy prosecutor for Area X of the Alto Paraná department after three years of performance considered inefficient. The measure, formalized by Resolution No. 1652, aims to reorganize the Public Ministry and takes effect on May 26, 2026. The replacement will be Celso José Sanabria González, who previously served in Ñeembucú. The decision comes less than a month after Rolón Fernández's visit to Ciudad del Este, where he participated in an international prosecutors' meeting and met with local authorities. The Alto Paraná Regional Prosecutor's Office faces a backlog of cases, lack of infrastructure, and complaints from lawyers about slow investigations.

In the early hours of May 18, the Ministry of Childhood and Adolescence (MINNA) coordinated an inter-institutional operation that removed 42 indigenous children and adolescents from the streets of Ciudad del Este, in the department of Alto Paraná. Three minors were without adult reference; a repeat offender woman and her seven children were taken to the MINNA Open Shelter Refuge by court order. The others underwent medical examinations and were sent back to their communities of origin in Guairá, Caazapá, and Alto Paraná.

The Public Ministry of Paraguay requested information from the National Police on the investigation into the disappearance of Pabla Beatriz Pereira Jara, 16, which occurred in the early hours of May 16 in the Tacumbú neighborhood of Asunción.

Paraguay's Attorney General Emiliano Rolón created two new specialized cybercrime units and assigned prosecutors Lorenzo Lezcano and Federico Delfino to them, amid controversies over Lezcano's conduct, who is the subject of a preliminary investigation by the Jury for the Prosecution of Magistrates for alleged ties to the late congressman Eulalio Gomes.

The Chaco Sentencing Court begins on Wednesday, May 20, the trial of Judge Amado Yuruhan, accused of sexually harassing a cleaner at the Filadelfia Courthouse in October 2022. The case, reported two days after the incident, will be analyzed by judges Carlos Lezcano, Myrian Núñez, and Shirley Romero.

A survey by the InSight Crime foundation shows that Paraguay is no longer the central corridor for drug trafficking it was three years ago. With stricter controls and inter-institutional surveillance, cocaine seizures fell from 5.4 tons in 2024 to about 1 ton in 2025, consolidating the country as a hostile environment for criminal logistics.

Lawyer Solange Guerreño, representing the attorney accused of installing GPS and cameras in his ex-partner's vehicle and home, denies the allegations and questions the impartiality of prosecutor Irma Llano from the Paraguayan Public Ministry.

The Public Prosecutor's Office investigation found no evidence of sexual abuse against the 7-year-old boy killed by his mother in Lambaré, who later committed suicide. The complaint made by the woman on social media was not corroborated by exams or testimonies, and the owner of the boarding house where the tragedy occurred stated that the mother had mental health issues and had been admitted to a psychiatric center.

Police and the Public Prosecutor's Office carried out an operation in Santa Rita, Alto Paraná, seizing cell phones, computers and documents in an investigation into child sexual abuse.

A 26-year-old woman suffocated her 7-year-old son and hanged herself in a tenement in the Santa Luísa neighborhood of Lambaré. In a letter on Instagram, she stated that the report of sexual abuse against the child's biological father, filed in 2024, was never thoroughly investigated. The Public Prosecutor's Office reported that medical exams ruled out physical violence, but the director of Forensic Medicine, Pablo Lemir, highlighted that not all sexual abuse leaves physical marks.

Operation Omega, a coordinated action among nine countries, resulted in the arrest of a lawyer in Santa Rita, Alto Paraná, suspected of being part of an international network for the sale and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that used cryptocurrencies for transactions. Prosecutor Ruth Karina Benítez led the execution of a search and seizure warrant, which seized electronic equipment, documents, and digital storage devices. Investigations are underway to determine whether the scheme also involved local production of the material and money laundering.

A 19-year-old woman reported being assaulted in the neck by a 44-year-old man after refusing a hug at a soccer field in the 4th neighborhood of General Artigas. The suspect, Gustavo Brítez Benítez, turned himself in to police and was detained.

The Comptroller General of the Republic is studying legal measures to impose fines and sanctions on former public officials who leave office without updating their sworn declaration of assets, a practice that hinders the detection of illicit enrichment. Currently, the law only requires the submission of the document for salary payment, but does not provide for punishment for those leaving public service.

Auto parts theft in Paraguay has evolved from a crime of opportunity into a structured illicit industry, moving millions per day. The made-to-order request model fuels the black market, with parts openly sold on social media. In Asunción, up to 250 thefts are recorded daily, and impunity is high, with detainees released in less than 24 hours.

Pre-candidates for councilor of the Municipal Board of Asunción denounce the existence of an irregular collection system in municipal markets and the Bus Station, which allegedly diverts funds for electoral campaigns. Ever Escalante, from the Colorado Añetete movement, claims that only in Market 4 around 100 million guaranis would be collected per day.

Prosecutor Amelia Bernal detailed the failures in the investigation of a sexual abuse complaint that preceded the filicide followed by suicide in Lambaré. The victim's mother displayed contradictory behavior, tried to throw herself in front of a vehicle with her son, and threatened to jump from a roof, but the boy was rescued and handed over to an aunt. Medical exams ruled out physical and sexual violence, and the child did not attend psychological interviews, preventing the indictment of any suspect.

A 16-year-old teenager died on Sunday after falling from his motorcycle on Route PY02 in Dr. Juan Eulogio Estigarribia (formerly Campo 9). Police are investigating whether he was participating in an illegal race at the time of the accident.

Paraguay's Appeals Court is set to rule on an appeal that could lead to the pretrial detention of former Senator Erico Galeano, sentenced to 13 years for money laundering and criminal association. The defense is trying to avoid imprisonment, while the Public Prosecutor's Office is requesting immediate detention.

Agents of the Lince Group arrested two youths in Luque on Saturday night after a stop in which they found a high-fidelity replica firearm and a motorcycle without documentation. Police are investigating a possible connection to robberies in the Maka’i region.

The Public Prosecutor's Office clarified that there is no confirmation that the 7-year-old boy, found dead alongside his mother in Lambaré, was a victim of sexual abuse, as alleged by the mother in a complaint filed in December 2024. A medical examination ruled out physical injuries and signs of sexual violence, and the child did not attend scheduled psychological interviews.

Ronny Arnaldo García González, 19, was arrested in a wooded area behind Padre Kreusser School in the San Pedro neighborhood after being identified by security cameras and social media. With him, police found food, footwear, and a portable radio, allegedly stolen in different incidents. The court ordered his detention while investigations continue.

A farewell letter found after the death of a mother and her 7-year-old son in Lambaré exposes allegations of sexual abuse and systematic mistreatment of the minor, allegedly committed by the biological father, and points to failures in the authorities' response.

The National Police of Paraguay and the Public Prosecutor's Office are conducting operations in Encarnación and Cambyretá to capture Gustavo Rubén Goncalvez Vera, the main suspect in the double homicide of Francisco Alcides Saucedo Quiñónez and Brian Ariel Lugo. During the raids, weapons, ammunition, drugs, and vehicles were seized, including a car reported stolen in Argentina. Investigations point to a possible connection with drug trafficking.

Mónica Idalia González Piazzoli, 26, and her 7-year-old son were found dead in a rented room in the Santa Luísa neighborhood of Lambaré. Police are investigating the hypothesis of filicide followed by suicide. A letter attributed to the woman, also published on her WhatsApp status, alleges that her ex-partner and the boy's biological father sexually abused and mistreated the child. The allegations have not been verified by authorities, and the prosecutor's office is investigating their veracity.

Michael Ariel Florentín Saucedo, 33, got out of his vehicle to pick tangerines in the Villa del Agrónomo neighborhood of San Lorenzo and was run over by a car. The driver, Bryan Giovanni Barboza Barrios, 20, tested negative for alcohol and was detained by order of the Public Prosecutor's Office.

Félix Leonor Quiñónez Herrera was sentenced to 11 years in prison for attempted homicide that occurred in May 2022 in Pedro Juan Caballero, after shooting at a driver who, in retaliation, ran him over. The unanimous sentence was handed down by a Sentencing Court, based on documentary and testimonial evidence presented by the Public Prosecutor's Office.

InSight Crime data shows an 82.6% drop in cocaine seizures in Paraguay in 2025, indicating the country is no longer a central corridor for trafficking to Europe, following enhanced controls and international cooperation.

A woman killed her own son and took her own life in Lambaré, Paraguay. Family members claim the boy's father had sexually abused the child when he was 3 years old and that the case had already been reported to the authorities.

A 26-year-old woman killed her 7-year-old son and hanged herself in a boarding house in Lambaré. In a letter published on Instagram, she accused her ex-partner of sexually abusing the child since age 3 and stated that the complaint filed with the police and the Public Prosecutor's Office was never investigated. The case is under the responsibility of prosecutor Nora Cubilla.

Brazil's Federal Court sentenced drug trafficker Lindomar Reges Furtado to 37 years in prison for leading an organization that exported more than six tons of cocaine to Europe. Furtado had escaped in 2022 during Operation Turf in Paraguay and was captured in 2025 in Rio de Janeiro.

A 42-year-old woman was arrested in Ypané, Central Department, after assaulting her husband and two daughters and attempting to set the residence on fire. She was intoxicated and threatened suicide. Police referred her to the Public Prosecutor's Office.

Paraguay's Public Ministry counts 12 femicide victims this year, with the most recent case in Loreto, Concepción. Additionally, a traffic accident in J. Augusto Saldívar and a fire in Guarambaré resulted in deaths.

Uruguayan Gianina García Troche, partner of drug trafficker Sebastián Marset, was heard for the second time by the Paraguayan Public Ministry on May 12 at the Emboscada women's prison. The interrogation was conducted by prosecutor Deny Yoon Pak and takes place on the eve of the deadline for the conclusion of the investigation, which expires on May 20.

The Ministry of Childhood and Adolescence (Minna) reported that the 147 Fono Ayuda hotline received 578 calls in April 2026, involving 1,110 children and adolescents in vulnerable situations. The main violations were failure to fulfill the duty of care (459 cases), mistreatment (406), social risk (192), street situation (125), and alleged sexual abuse (102). The Central department led the records with 266 cases, followed by Asunción (113) and Itapúa (38). The cases were forwarded to the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Public Defender's Office, and CODENI.

A chase initiated by the Brazilian Military Highway Police ended tragically in Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay, when a fleeing vehicle rolled over and fell into a swimming pool, killing a woman who was a passenger.