Blas Pablo Melgarejo Benítez sentenced to 8 years for robbery

Blas Pablo Melgarejo Benítez, known as ‘Chopalé’, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for an aggravated robbery committed in October 2021. The incident took place at the Almonte grocery store in the San Agustín neighborhood of Ciudad del Este.

During the robbery, Melgarejo Benítez and accomplice Wilson Darío Rotela Coronel—who remains a fugitive—entered the premises armed with firearms. The perpetrators forced a victim to a nearby vacant lot, where they stole a Samsung A50 phone, a gold chain, and 15 million Guaraníes. Rotela Coronel reportedly fired shots into the air to intimidate the victim during their escape.

Melgarejo Benítez is identified by authorities as a leader of a criminal gang linked to the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC). He has been under investigation for multiple robberies involving warehouses and courier companies. The sentence was handed down by a tribunal led by Judge Lourdes Morínigo following an oral trial where the prosecution presented documentary and testimonial evidence.