Paraguay's National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD) destroyed 12 tons of marijuana in a four-hectare plantation in the Tamburi area of Bella Vista Norte, Amambay Department. The operation, carried out last Friday under the supervision of prosecutor Rossana Coronel, also resulted in the destruction of a camp used to store and process the drugs.
On Sunday, a small helicopter that had taken off from Bella Vista Norte was intercepted by the Brazilian State Police after entering Brazilian airspace. The aircraft, piloted by 62-year-old Brazilian José Carlos Barbosa, was carrying between 288 and 346 kilograms of cocaine. An aerial pursuit forced it to land in a plantation about 25 km from the border. The pilot stated that five hooded men armed with rifles loaded the drugs in Paraguay, with Hortolândia, São Paulo, as the intended destination.
In Luque, agents from SENAD's Urban Operations Directorate arrested two young men, 18-year-old Adán Erico Caballero Cubilla and 19-year-old Jesús Daniel Amarilla Vergara, alleged suppliers for the Rotela Clan. They were transporting 3.014 kg of cocaine, equivalent to more than 6,000 doses, in a ride-hailing vehicle. The female driver was released for lack of involvement. The operation, coordinated by prosecutor Julia Báez, is part of the Sumar plan to combat micro-trafficking.
Separately, in Asunción, a 19-year-old man was arrested after shooting at two motorcyclists in the San Antonio neighborhood on Saturday. Investigators link the suspect to the Rotela Clan based on social media posts where he appears carrying weapons and making gestures alluding to the criminal faction.