Brothers Held in Preventive Detention After 30 Rifles Found in Pedro Juan Caballero

Two brothers detained with 30 7.62-caliber rifles in Pedro Juan Caballero will remain in preventive detention at Paraguay’s National Detention Center, a specialized organized-crime court ruled.

Blas Antonio Figueredo, 33, and Fredy Alberto Figueredo, 38, were arrested over the weekend in the Virgen de Caacupé neighborhood. Special agents from Paraguay’s National Anti-Drug Secretariat, Senad, said they acted on information that the men were offering weapons on the black market. Officers also found three kilograms of pressed and loose marijuana at the site.

Initial investigations indicated that the rifles came from Germany and Spain. Authorities said the brothers allegedly intended to sell them to Brazilian organized-crime members. Agents also had information that the suspects had begun making contacts with members of the Comando Vermelho.

The 30 rifles and their seized accessories were handed to Digemabel, Paraguay’s arms-control authority. The brothers were initially charged in Pedro Juan Caballero with suspected drug trafficking because of the marijuana found in their possession. The alleged weapons-trafficking case was later transferred to Asunción.

Investigators suspect the seizure may be connected to a July 29 operation in Santa Rosa del Monday, in Alto Paraná. During that operation, police stopped a noncommissioned officer who was transporting 20 rifles toward Ciudad del Este. Prosecutor Ingrid Cubilla filed the weapons-trafficking charges in Asunción, leading to the preventive-detention order.