Another Shootout Shakes San Matías; Hitmen Murder Two People

The border municipality of San Matías in Bolivia was once again gripped by violence, as a new shootout claimed two lives in the community of Ascensión de la Frontera. This incident occurred less than 24 hours after an armed attack on the Campo Nuevo estancia, pushing the total number of fatalities in the region to six within a single day.

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Less than 24 hours after the armed attack at the Campo Nuevo estancia, in the border region, a new shooting caused the death of two people in the community of Ascensión de la Frontera.

The latest bloodshed took place in Ascensión de la Frontera, located approximately 130 kilometers from San Matías's urban center, near the border with Brazil. According to initial reports, four armed men traveling on two motorcycles ambushed a black SUV carrying the victims. Witnesses described the assailants firing repeatedly at the vehicle with what sounded like machine guns before fleeing the scene on their motorcycles.

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Witnesses of the attack indicated that the hitmen fired repeatedly at the vehicle, using what they described as machine guns, and then fled with unknown destination on motorcycles.

Both occupants of the SUV died as a result of the attack. Their bodies were not found in the vehicle, and their whereabouts remain unknown. This surge in violence underscores the persistent vulnerability of the border region, which has seen numerous incidents in recent years attributed to criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and other transnational offenses.

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San Matías adds six fatal victims in less than 24 hours, in an escalation of violence that once again highlights the vulnerability of this border region with the Republic of Brazil, where in recent years numerous incidents attributed to criminal organizations linked to drug trafficking and other transnational crimes have been recorded.