Three men were detained Wednesday afternoon under the Héroes del Chaco bridge on Asunción's Costanera Norte after being caught with modified long guns, cartridges, and machetes. The operation took place around 5 p.m., after a pedestrian alerted patrol officers about people carrying suspicious objects in bags and backpacks.
Police approached the group and found an improvised arsenal: air rifles adapted to .22 caliber, a 28-gauge shotgun, 27 intact cartridges, large machetes, and a sharpening steel. Deputy Officer Vicente Maldonado of the Tourist Security Department said such weapons are commonly used in cattle rustling cases.
Those detained — Juan Bareiro Benítez, 68, Víctor Fabián Aquino Portillo, 32, and Eduardo Ramón Mallorquín Gómez, 69 — said they were heading to a fishing spot. However, none of them carried rods, reels, hooks, or any fishing-related equipment. "They only had these items we are seeing," Maldonado said.
None of the three have criminal records, according to police records. They were placed at the disposal of duty prosecutor Hermenegilda Cubilla of Criminal Unit No. 2 in Asunción. The investigation continues to determine the group's actual destination and the possible use of the weapons.