A group of between 20 and 30 heavily armed men attacked and set fire to a police station in the Naranjito colony, Ybyrarobaná district, Canindeyú department, on Tuesday night. The attack resulted in the deaths of two non-commissioned officers, 40-year-old Atilio Martínez Barrios and 33-year-old Herminio Ojeda González, and 37-year-old civilian Josemar Escobar Piris, who worked as a secretary at the location. A fourth officer, non-commissioned officer Víctor Gavilán, was shot and wounded but survived by playing dead and fleeing to a wooded area.
According to accounts from survivors and authorities, the assailants wore camouflage clothing, tactical boots, and carried high-caliber weapons, including shotguns and rifles. They arrived at the post on foot, opened fire immediately, and used Molotov cocktails to set fire to the headquarters, a police vehicle, and three private cars. Prosecutor Óscar Paredes, in charge of the investigation, stated that the attackers communicated in Guarani during the operation.
Authorities have not yet identified those responsible. The Minister of the Interior, Enrique Riera, suggested the attack could be a message from drug trafficking groups to the state, highlighting the symbolic nature of the target. The Minister of Defense, Óscar González, described the event as "a strong blow to the security forces" and stated that all hypotheses are being considered, including the involvement of the self-styled Paraguayan People's Army (EPP) or the criminal structure led by Felipe Santiago Acosta Riveros, known as "Macho."
However, General Alberto Gaona, commander of the Internal Defense Operations Command (CODI), a unit of the Armed Forces, expressed skepticism about the EPP's responsibility. He cited discrepancies, such as the use of shotguns, which is not common for this group, and the high number of attackers, which would be greater than the contingent usually attributed to the EPP. Gaona emphasized that the investigation is in its early stages and that torrential rains in the region have hampered the search for evidence.
In response to the attack, the National Police declared institutional mourning and set up a unified command post in the area. Police and military personnel have been reinforced in the region, with tracking operations and drone overflights. Opposition Senator Rafael Filizzola criticized the government's security model, arguing that forces in conflict zones are not adequately equipped and advocated for greater investment in armored vehicles, weaponry, and intelligence.