Gold sale scam turns deadly in Encarnación; two killed, one injured

A planned gold transaction in Encarnación, Paraguay, ended in a brutal double homicide, leaving two men dead and another wounded. The victims, identified as Arsenio Erico Cano González, 52, and Justo Pastor Garcete Cano, 50, had traveled from Juan E. O’Leary with a third companion, Francisco Javier Cano González, 45, who survived a gunshot wound to the neck and is in stable condition.

The incident unfolded Thursday morning when the group met individuals offering gold for sale near the Juan XXIII Minizoo in Encarnación. Security footage captured the meeting around 7:30 a.m. Subsequently, the sellers reportedly led the victims in their Jeep Cherokee to the El Paraíso Recreational Park, where the attack occurred.

According to preliminary investigations, the victims were subdued and bound at the park. Prosecutor Néstor Alonso confirmed that one victim sustained a gunshot to the mouth, while the other was shot eight times. The survivor apparently feigned death until the assailants fled with the money.

Police have identified a suspect who appears in security footage and is reportedly renting the property where the homicide took place. Investigators also recovered items including a bill counter, an ashtray, glasses, zip ties, and socks from the crime scene. An official from Alto Paraná is en route to Encarnación to identify the bodies, as the deceased are believed to be close relatives.

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One of them presented a gunshot wound to the mouth, while the other received eight shots.