Derwin Jesús González Castro Killed in Falcón Police Shootout, Venezuela

Derwin Jesús González Castro, a 26‑year‑old man also known as “El Ranger,” was identified as a suspect in a robbery of a bus on the Punta Cardón route in Falcón state, Venezuela. Security forces from the Comando Anti‑Extorsión y Secuestro (CONAS), the Dirección de Inteligencia y Estrategias Preventivas (DIEP), the Servicio de Investigación Penal (SIPEF) and local police conducted a joint operation in the Bolívar neighbourhood of Carirubana. When officers located the suspect in a house, he opened fire, prompting an exchange of gunfire. He was wounded, taken to Hospital Dr. Rafael Calle Sierra and died shortly after arrival.

The operation was part of a broader area‑saturation effort to protect citizens. Investigators recovered a Walther PPK pistol as evidence, and the case was forwarded to the Fiscalía XVII of the Ministerio Público.