49 Structured Organized Crime Groups or criminal gangs that had been operating in the Portuguesa state so far this year have been dismantled, according to Luis Medina, secretary of Citizen Security for the region.
He attributed this achievement to the joint work carried out by the citizen security forces, with the support of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), to minimize criminal action and preserve peace in Portuguese territory.
“We are working in an articulated and compact way to provide maximum security to our people,” he stressed.
No to drug microtrafficking
The criminal gang that has just been dismantled in Portuguesa operated in Guanare and was dedicated to drug micro-trafficking and the robbery and theft of motorcycles.
Medina reported that the procedure was carried out by the Criminal Investigation Service of the Portuguesa Police and allowed the apprehension of three citizens, all with police records for being involved in homicides, kidnappings, sale of illicit substances, theft and robbery.
Those arrested were identified as Édgar Alexánder Soto Arenas (44), Jorge Joan Rodríguez Valladares (32) and Omar Alexander Caldera Vargas (40).
Soto Arenas presents seven records: one for qualified homicide (2-02-2010); one for homicide and kidnapping (03-20-2009); two for the sale of narcotics and psychotropic drugs (02-25-2006 and 08-02-2010); two for common theft (05-17-1996 and 05-20-1997) and another for generic theft (robbery), dated April 5, 1997.
Caldera Vargas also has seven criminal records for illicit trafficking in metals, precious stones and strategic materials (09-08-2017), two for common generic theft (12-23-2005 and 07-02-2019), for vehicle theft (19 -02-2010), for taking advantage of things from crime (07-10-2008), for violence and resistance to authority (04-29-2012) and for generic theft (07-7-2004), while Rodríguez Valladares has a police record for qualified homicide (02-02-2010).
Criminal gangs have been dismantled
Medina explained that the police operation was carried out in sector IV of the Cuatricentenario neighborhood of Guanare, after chasing the subjects and entering a building in whose parking lot two chassis were found, a lot of spare parts and motorcycle parts of dubious origin and two motorcycles. requested for the crimes of theft and robbery.
The police commission also found a bag with a panela of marijuana that yielded a weight of 529 grams, in addition to a scale and two high-voltage coils.
The case was referred to the Ninth Prosecutor of the Public Ministry with jurisdiction over Drugs and Money Laundering in Guanare.
Crime in figures
In the company of the police and military chiefs of Portuguesa, Medina offered a balance of the management of citizen security policies in the state, highlighting the arrest this year of 2,370 people for being involved in different criminal acts.
He affirmed that the homicide rate has been reduced, accounting for 37 cases since January, 10 less compared to 2021.
He reported that this year there have been 124 cases of injuries, 241 thefts, 170 robberies, 20 legal interventions (confrontations), 89 cases of gender violence, 45 vehicle thefts, 60 vehicle thefts and 47 frauds.
In anti-drug matters, 50 kilos 401 grams of different types of narcotic and psychotropic substances have been seized: 27 kilos 823 grams of processed drugs and 22 kilos with 678 grams of cannabis sativa (marijuana) plants and seeds.
The head of Citizen Security in Portuguesa pointed out that among all the security forces – Cicpc, Portuguesa Police, Bolivarian National Police, Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) and other agencies – the seizure of 39 firearms, 210 projectiles, 4,250 liters of fuel, 75,718 kilos of strategic material, 15,795 cubic meters of wood, 15,796 kilos of food and 17,480 liters of liquor. 383 vehicles and 379 motorcycles that were requested were also recovered.
