Investigation Finds Peji Planes Were Stolen in Brazil

The three small planes found at a private airfield in Peji, south of Santa Cruz, may be the aircraft stolen in Brazil during an armed robbery in 2021. Bolivia’s anti-drug police force, Felcn, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office are investigating how the planes reached the country.

Investigators’ main hypothesis is that the aircraft were dismantled at Hangar 13, located at an airfield in the Mondaca area of the municipality of Cotoca. They were then allegedly moved piece by piece to Peji, where they were being reassembled. The suspected purpose was to hide their origin and make identification more difficult before putting them back into use.

The preliminary investigation points to a Colombian national and a man known by the alias “El Nené.” Authorities suspect they ordered the dismantling and transport of the aircraft. The hangars in Peji have been sealed.

The operation began after DEA agents detected what they considered irregular movements involving the aircraft and coordinated an intervention with Felcn officers. Police initially reported seizing two planes and found that they lacked registration numbers. They also found spare parts and other aircraft-related items in the hangars.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered the aircraft sealed and seized. Investigators are conducting tests, including micro-aspiration examinations, to determine whether the planes were used to transport controlled substances. They are also checking aviation documents, identification numbers and technical characteristics to establish whether the aircraft match those stolen in Brazil. The investigation seeks to reconstruct their route into Bolivia and identify everyone involved in the theft, dismantling, transport and reassembly. Authorities have not ruled out further arrests once individual participation is established.