A 35-year-old Brazilian man, resident in Cascavel, was robbed by eight hooded and armed criminals in the San Rafael neighborhood of Ciudad del Este after arranging a date through the Grindr app. The thieves took an iPhone 17 Pro Max and forced the victim to transfer 45,000 reais via Pix. In a separate case, authorities are investigating another robbery with hostages in which 28 million guaranis in cash and 29 million guaranis in transfers were stolen.
Ciudad del Este
Ciudad de Paraguay, una de las procedencias de las mujeres trasladadas.
The Government of Alto Paraná awaits the closure of the Regional Penitentiary of Ciudad del Este to build a new National Police headquarters on the site, addressing complaints from residents of the Boquerón neighborhood about security and contamination.
The Ministry of Childhood and Adolescence (MINNA) carried out a protection operation in the early hours of May 18 that removed 42 indigenous children and adolescents from the streets of Ciudad del Este. Three were without an adult reference; a repeat offender woman and her seven children were sent to the Centro Abierto Refugio. The rest were taken back to their communities in the departments of Guairá, Caazapá, and Alto Paraná, after undergoing medical inspection by the Mobile Clinic of the Ministry of Health.
The National Police conducted two operations in Ciudad del Este on Monday (18). A man was detained on suspicion of child sexual abuse, with cell phones and documents seized. Another suspect, aged 33, was arrested for theft from a pharmacy, allegedly taking more than G. 5 million; he is said to have been released from prison a month ago.
In the early hours of May 18, the Ministry of Childhood and Adolescence (MINNA) coordinated an inter-institutional operation that removed 42 indigenous children and adolescents from the streets of Ciudad del Este, in the department of Alto Paraná. Three minors were without adult reference; a repeat offender woman and her seven children were taken to the MINNA Open Shelter Refuge by court order. The others underwent medical examinations and were sent back to their communities of origin in Guairá, Caazapá, and Alto Paraná.
Opposition lawmakers in Paraguay criticize Comptroller General Camilo Benítez, claiming he uses an alleged gap in Law 5189/14 to avoid sanctioning agencies that do not disclose employee salaries, such as binational entities. They point to selectivity in audits and complicity with the Cartes/Peña government.
Paraguay's Attorney General, Emiliano Rolón Fernández, removed Jorge Sosa García from the position of deputy prosecutor for Area X of the Alto Paraná department after three years of performance considered inefficient. The measure, formalized by Resolution No. 1652, aims to reorganize the Public Ministry and takes effect on May 26, 2026. The replacement will be Celso José Sanabria González, who previously served in Ñeembucú. The decision comes less than a month after Rolón Fernández's visit to Ciudad del Este, where he participated in an international prosecutors' meeting and met with local authorities. The Alto Paraná Regional Prosecutor's Office faces a backlog of cases, lack of infrastructure, and complaints from lawyers about slow investigations.
The Argentine group Tinku Marka, known for its fusion of ancestral and contemporary music, has announced plans for a tour of Paraguay, including cities such as Asunción, Encarnación, and Ciudad del Este. The band was awarded 'Revelation of the Night' at the 2025 Festival of the Paraguay River.
The Ministry of Children and Adolescents (MINNA) coordinated an action that removed 42 indigenous children and adolescents from the streets of Ciudad del Este, amid cold and danger. Three adolescents were unaccompanied, and an indigenous woman with seven children was taken to a shelter. The group will be reintegrated into their communities of origin in Guairá, Caazapá, and Alto Paraná.
The Tripartite Command, a division of the National Police of Paraguay that integrates security forces from Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina, completed 30 years of operations in the Triple Frontier. In a ceremony in Ciudad del Este, authorities highlighted cooperation in combating transnational crime, and the presidency was transferred from Paraguay to Argentina.
The Specialized Court for Organized Crime has formally received data extracted from the cell phone of Lindomar Reges Furtado, sentenced to 37 years in prison in Brazil for drug trafficking. The information will be translated and analyzed to verify a possible link with former minister Arnaldo Giuzzio, accused of aggravated passive bribery.
The Paraguayan government announced a restructuring of the female prison system, turning the Emboscada Penitentiary Complex into the country's only prison exclusively for women. The measure includes the definitive closure of the Juana María de Lara Penitentiary Center in Ciudad del Este and the elimination of mixed units in five cities.
With the transfer of 361 female inmates to the COMPLE in Emboscada, the Paraguayan government eliminates mixed units and closes the women's prison in Ciudad del Este, complying with the constitutional separation of pretrial and convicted inmates.
The so-called 'Grindr Gang' has allegedly carried out another robbery in Ciudad del Este, this time in the San Rafael neighborhood, stealing about 60 million guaranis. The group uses dating apps to lure victims. Police and the Public Prosecutor's Office are investigating the case.
In the early hours of Monday, unknown individuals fired multiple shots at Lavadero Conesul in Pedro Juan Caballero and left a note in Portuguese with collection threats. The attack comes days after the Pax Conesul funeral home, owned by the same person, was also targeted by gunfire. Police are investigating the motive.
Paraguay's Ministry of Justice concluded this Sunday the transfer of 361 women deprived of liberty from six penitentiaries to the Penitentiary Complex for Women Deprived of Liberty (COMPLE) in Emboscada. The operation, named Umbral 2.5, was carried out jointly with the National Police and the Armed Forces, with no incidents reported.
Paraguay's Ministry of Justice executed operation "Umbral 2.5", transferring about 225 women from six prisons to the new Women's Penitentiary Complex in Emboscada, Cordillera department. The action aims to centralize the female prison population and improve detention conditions.
With expectations of a record flow of visitors during winter break, the business sector of Ciudad del Este demands the full opening of the Puente de la Integración. Diplomatic negotiations with Brazil are stalled over demands for strict migration controls, while the city prepares for an economic boom that could generate up to 50,000 new jobs.
A 35-year-old Brazilian citizen was kidnapped and forced to transfer about 60 million guaranis (45,000 reais) after arranging a meeting via Grindr in the San Rafael neighborhood of Ciudad del Este. Seven armed men ambushed him, stole his iPhone 17 Pro Max, and held him hostage for hours to carry out Pix transfers. Police were unable to locate the exact site of the crime.
The Directorate of Meteorology and Hydrology forecasts a cold week in Paraguay, with minimum temperatures between 9°C and 12°C and highs not exceeding 19°C. Isolated rain is expected only in the Chaco and northern Eastern Region.
Two violent robberies were recorded over the weekend in the Department of Alto Paraná. In Juan León Mallorquín, a motel employee was held up by two armed men; in Ciudad del Este, five criminals invaded a residence and stole electronics and cash. Police seized ammunition at the scene of the second crime.
Paraguay's Ministry of Justice concluded Operation Umbral 2.5 this Sunday (17), transferring 361 women deprived of liberty from six penitentiaries to the Penitentiary Complex for Women Deprived of Liberty (COMPLE) in Emboscada. The operation, supported by the National Police and the Armed Forces, proceeded without incidents, following security protocols and respect for human rights. A press conference is scheduled for Monday (18) to detail the action.
Sol Aramí Brizuela Báez, from Ciudad del Este, graduated Summa cum laude in mechanical engineering from Tufts University in Boston. During the ceremony, she displayed the Paraguayan flag and greeted those present in Guaraní.
The National Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation of Higher Education (Aneaes) requested the Ministry of Education and the National Council for Higher Education (Cones) to intervene in more than 100 law courses that have never undergone mandatory accreditation. The request, made on May 4, has been ignored so far, while the scandal involving former senator Hernán Rivas exposes weaknesses in the diploma registration system.