About 75 prisoners, including members of the PCC, escape from prison in Paraguay

About 75 prisoners, many of whom were members of the Brazilian faction Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC ) , fled this Sunday from the prison of Pedro Juan Caballero, in Paraguay , a city that borders the Brazilian city of Ponta Porã, in Mato Grosso do South. After the escape, a tunnel was found that connects one of the pavilions to the outside area of ​​the penitentiary. The government, however, is assessing the possibility that detainees may have escaped through the front door with the complicity of prison staff.

The Paraguayan Ministry of Justice has not yet provided the list of fugitives, although local media mention the number of 75 and report that one of the prisoners was reportedly captured in the early hours of the morning. The Brazilian faction has a strong presence in Paraguay, due to drug trafficking. Initially, the Paraguayan press reported that 91 had fled the prison.

“A tunnel was found and we believe that this tunnel was a misleading resource to legitimize or to make up for the release of prisoners. There is complicity with people inside the prison and this is a phenomenon that occurs in all penitentiaries, ”said the country's interior minister, Euclides Acevedo, in a note published on the government website. According to him, the police are investigating the escape and on high alert to try to recapture the fugitives.

To the “Telefuturo” television network, Interior Minister Euclides Acevedo said he was considering the possibility that the detainees had left the main gates of the prison and had the support of the agents. Still according to him, the director of the prison, in the department of Amambay, is on vacation. Acevedo also said that the possibility that the tunnel was built as a facade to conceal the alleged complicity of employees is being investigated.

The National Police has already started an operation to search for fugitives in the Pedro Juan Caballero area, a city located on the border with Brazil and which is one of the PCC's operations centers in the neighboring country. Last December, Justice Minister Cecilia Pérez said she had information on prison intelligence pointing to an escape or rescue plan from the leaders of the criminal faction, who would provide a $ 80,000 reward for the operation. Faced with the threat, the Justice even announced the reinforcement of security in the penitentiaries, where there is already a police and military presence, as established by the Prison Emergency Law.

The standard was sanctioned by the country's president, Mario Abdo Benítez, on September 8, after several clashes and riots in the country's jails. However, a few days later, the head of the Comando Vermelho in Paraguay, Jorge Samudio, escaped. At the time, the head of government reported that corruption and money were involved in the flight.