South American prison escapes and transfers

In mid-October, two detainees escaped from the Gendarmería Nacional Escuadrón N° 21 in Jujuy, Argentina, by squeezing through a gap in a cell door. Security footage indicated an inmate used a white substance, such as soap, to lubricate his body. The fugitives crossed the border into Villazón, Bolivia, where they were intercepted and recaptured by the Unidad Policial de Acción y Reacción (UPAR Delta) approximately ten hours later.

By late October, separate incidents occurred in Peru and Paraguay. In Peru, seven high-risk inmates, including members of the ‘La Confederación’ criminal organization, were transferred from Lima’s Ancón 1 penitentiary to the high-altitude Challapalca prison in Tacna following an intelligence operation that uncovered drugs, weapons, and communication devices.

In Paraguay, the escape of two inmates—Ever Alejandro Ozuna López, accused of drug trafficking, and Robert Arsenio Merlo Villalba, accused of aggravated robbery—from the Martín Mendoza Penitentiary in Emboscada has led to the arrest of four guards. The fugitives escaped by breaking window bars and scaling walls using makeshift ropes. Investigations uncovered irregularities, including staff in possession of mobile phones, SIM cards, tablets, and chargers. Authorities allege guards may have facilitated the escape by disabling controls or leaving surveillance areas unmanned. Consequently, Paraguay’s Minister of Justice, Rodrigo Nicora, ordered an immediate intervention of the facility, and prison director Pablo Abel González was removed from his position pending an independent investigation.