# Criminal and violent incidents in Venezuela and Ecuador > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/criminal-and-violent-incidents-in-venezuela-and-ecuador > Updated: 2026-10-23T21:55:10.000Z. Sources: 10. Developments: 2. Law enforcement and military operations in Venezuela and Ecuador have targeted various criminal activities, ranging from long-term fugitives to organized crime and military violence. In Venezuela, authorities arrested Yony José Barboza Urdaneta, a fugitive wanted for intentional homicide since the late 1990s. Specifically, Barboza Urdaneta had been wanted in the Sur del Lago subregion with arrest warrants dating back to December 1996 and March 1997; he was apprehended during preventive patrols in the Francisco Javier Pulgar municipality. Later, the Mixed Special Task Unit captured Raymond Samuel Paz Salas, the alleged perpetrator of a massacre at the Mayor Buenaventura Vivas Air Base in Táchira. The shooting, which occurred on the night of Tuesday, October 20, resulted in the deaths of Lieutenant Víctor Moreno, Sergeant Crismar Medina Puerta, and Sergeant Richard Espinosa Borges, while wounding three others. Following a 72-hour manhunt, Paz Salas was located in a wooded area near the military installation. During the arrest, security forces seized an AK-103 rifle, three magazines, and 89 cartridges. Táchira Governor Freddy Bernal described the incident as an “unusual” and “strange reaction,” and investigations are ongoing to determine if mental health issues played a role. In Ecuador, military forces conducted a raid on a banana plantation in El Oro province, resulting in the arrest of three individuals. Among those detained was a suspected hitman leader for the Sao Box criminal organization, known by the alias ‘Nando’. Authorities seized firearms, drugs, and ammunition during the operation. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-23: Soldier arrested for killing three military personnel in Táchira Soldier Raymond Daniel Paz Salas has been captured in Táchira, Venezuela, after a 72-hour search for his alleged role in a shooting that killed three military personnel at a local air base. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/authorities-arrest-suspects-in-ecuador-and-venezuela-crime-incidents ### 2026-10-07: Police arrest long-term fugitive in Venezuela and raid producer in Costa Rica Police in Venezuela arrested a man wanted for homicide for 30 years, while Costa Rican authorities raided the home of event producer Hugo Barboza in a money laundering investigation. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/police-arrest-long-term-fugitive-in-venezuela-and-raid-producer-in-costa-rica --- Cite as: Criminal and violent incidents in Venezuela and Ecuador. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/criminal-and-violent-incidents-in-venezuela-and-ecuador