Bolivian police dismantled a dangerous international band dedicated to the theft of valo objectsR of the interior of parked vehicles in different areas of Santa Cruz. The criminal group was led by Carlos Alberto López Caballero, aka ´chupa´, a Paraguayan nationality exre with a wide criminal history in Bolivia and its country of origin, where it has pending arrest warrants for multiple crimes.
In 2017, ‘Chupa’ fell imprisoned in the Palmasola prison Together with other members of the band called ´Tortolero´but he managed to be released and re -articular his organization to perpetrate robberies with the same way of operating.
During a press conference, the Departmental Commander of the Police of Santa Cruz, Rolando Rojas Daza, together with the Director of the Special Force for the Fight against Crime (FELCC), Juan Gustavo Apín Encinas, presented the apprehended involved in at least 20 aggravated robberies Under the modality known as “Plumeros”, consisting of breaking glass of vehicles with spark plugs to subtract valuable belongings.
“This organization It was equipped with technological tools To unlock modern vehicle safety systems. They used adulterated plates not to raise suspicions, ”said Colonel Rojas.
One of the clarified cases occurred on July 28, 2025, on Roca and Coronado Avenue, where in broad daylight, they broke the glass of a vehicle and They stole valuable belongings. After a surveillance and intelligence operation, the FELCC managed to identify the blue car used in the fact, which was subsequently kidnapped.
During the investigations, it was discovered that this same band had perpetrated another robbery of great magnitude: 100,000 Bolivians, stolen on July 15 On Germany Avenue, using the same modus operandi with technology to cancel alarms.
In the operation, Carlos Alberto López Caballero, former inmate of the Palmasola and Bande de la Banda prison, and José Daniel Cuéllar Arteaga, also also excess, who was already sentenced to two years, was apprehended. Other involved are Edson Fidel Benjamín González and Noel Aldunate Ruiz, who underwent abbreviated procedure and were also released by obtaining sentences under three years.
In addition, the police identified other still fugitive members, including the also Paraguayan José Gabriel Leguizamón Díaz, aka ‘La Vaca’, and a Peruvian citizen not yet identified.
Criminal history since 2012
Carlos Alberto López Caballero, aka ‘Chupa’, has a history in Paraguay for facts Punibles against Property (2012), Reduction (2014) and aggravated theft (2015 and 2016). In his country, it was part of a criminal organization nicknamed ‘Los Tortoleros’, specializing in stealing in parking lots of shopping centers and residential areas.
His band was responsible for More than 200 robberies in Paraguay and its modus operandi included the use of luxurious vehicles – valued by up to $ 75,000 – not to raise suspicions. On May 25, 2017, Carlos Alberto was captured in Santa Cruz with Isaías Joan García Gonzales, Ricardo Elías Manuel Fernández Méndez and José Gabriel Leguizamón Díaz, this last involved in this new criminal band rearticulated.
The ‘Tortoleros’ band was captured after committing a robbery on Busch Avenue. Despite having a prohibition of departure from his country and current arrest warrants, he managed to continue operating in Bolivia from 2015 to 2017, when they were captured and sent to the Palmasola prison.
Paraguayan prosecutor Ruddy Parad had already warned that López Caballero and His accomplices would be prosecuted in Bolivia for at least five cases of aggravated robbery.
The Bolivian police announced that he will continue with the investigations And it does not rule out that the criminal network has ramifications in other regions of the country. In addition, it coordinates with Paraguayan authorities and Interpol for the eventual extradition of those involved.
