Nine members of a gang dedicated to extortion were arrested in the Curiepe sector, Maturín municipality, Monagas state, according to military sources.
The detainees are part of the El Canache group, a cell of the criminal structure founded by Pedro Manuel González Mata (Pedro El Rapidito), which is directed from the Monagas Judicial Detention Center, located in La Pica, according to investigations.
Five shotguns of various calibers, a shotgun, a pistol, 22 cartridges, two radio transmitters and a telephone set were seized from the subjects.
Those captured were recorded as: Jesús Andrés Barrero Centeno, José Manuel Arenas Pérez, Hildemaro José Aristimuño, Pedro Elías Herrera Aguirre, Omar Enrique Palmares Liendro, José Noel Pereira Sacón, Juan Gabriel Lugo Romero, Carlos Enyerson Brito Rodríguez and Nelson Alexander Salas.
These people were denounced for extorting farmers from the south of Monagas state.
The nine were handed over to the Public Ministry where they opened a file for illicit possession of a firearm and conspiracy to commit a crime.
