Five men were sent to preventive detention for 180 days in the Palmasola prison, syndicated from Integrate a band dedicated to the theft and faeneo of cattle In Colonia Brecha 4, Municipality of La Guardia. The measure was issued after being apprehended in flagrance last Wednesday, when they moved meat of six stolen cattle.
Prosecutor Fabiola Paco reported that the Public Ministry formalized the imputation for Abigeato, criminal association and crimes against public health.
“Aggravated abigeato has a penalty of 4 to 6 years and the criminal association, from 1 to 10 years. There have been five accused that will be prosecuted in the preparatory stage. We will continue with the investigative acts because we can still identify more victims, ”he said.
The operation that resulted in the apprehensions occurred when Community of Gap 4 detected suspicious movements and They retained six people, including a woman and a Mennonite citizen, who transported fresh meat in two vehicles. Four of the cattle belonged to the Menonita Riva Palacios colony and two to the Swift Current association.
After immobilizing them, the residents tied the defendants on the road and set the two motorized ones used in the illicit. In the place seized freshly slaughtered livestock meatconsidered key evidence.
One of the detainees recognized his participation arguing economic problems: “I did it by necessity. My wife is very bad. They offered me a thousand Bolivians.” The only woman in the group assured that she was only hired to transport the meat and that He did not know its illicit origin.
The victims’ lawyer, Javier Espinoza, said that one of those involved has a arrest warrant for another case of abigeato and that others have a criminal record. Confirmed that woman was released with substitute measureswhile the five men were sent to Palmasola.
The case has generated concern in the livestock sector of Santa Cruz, where Abigeato has become a recurring crime that hits the economy of producers and rural communities.
