Nine alleged members of a marijuana trafficking network were arrested on 1 August in Salto del Guairá, the capital of Canindeyú department near Paraguay’s eastern border with Brazil.[1] Among those detained were alleged leader and main financier Flaviano Giménez, his son and alleged second-in-command Flavio Junior Giménez Spaini, and alleged transporter Jorge Daniel Zorrilla Vera.[1] Auxiliary anti-drugs prosecutor Wilson Gauto Campuzano was arrested for allegedly taking kickbacks to give the criminal group intelligence.[1] Ex-soldier Jorge Daniel Zorrilla was arrested for allegedly managing storage of the drugs.[1] Twin brothers Wilson Rubén Cáceres González and Wilson Darío Cáceres González, the second an ex-policeman, were accused of helping move the drugs through Canindeyú.[1] Both brothers remained fugitives, according to Paraguayan news outlet ABC Color.[1] Several police officers accused of accepting bribes were dismissed.[1]
A year-long investigation identified a well-structured protection system of serving and retired police, army, customs and prosecution officials who accepted traffickers’ bribes to ignore drug shipments and warn the network about investigations and raids.[1] During the operation authorities seized written records of bribe payments, more than a dozen vehicles, several boats, semi-automatic weapons and almost 16 tonnes of marijuana valued at about US$8 million.[1]
Investigators said the scheme moved tonnes of marijuana from a remote plantation through several department cities on main highways because of bribe payments.[1] Once shipments reached the departmental capital they were stored in a facility near the local customs office and then moved to clandestine ports on the Paraná River.[1] From there the marijuana was taken by river to Brazil aboard speedboats.[1]
