Thirty 7.62 mm FAL rifles were seized on Sunday, March 30, at a house in the Virgen de Caacupé neighborhood of Pedro Juan Caballero, in the Amambay Department. The weapons were hidden beneath a load of provisions in the bed of a Chevrolet S10 pickup truck.
The operation was carried out by agents of the National Anti-Drug Secretariat (Senad), in coordination with the Public Prosecutor’s Office and under the direction of anti-drug prosecutor Celso René Morales. Brothers Blas Antonio Figueredo López, 34, and Freddy Alberto Figueredo López, 43, both from Yby Yaú, were detained at the site.
The weapons were found during a search of the property. According to the investigation’s preliminary theory, the shipment was to be taken to Brazil to supply criminal organizations. The suspicion still must be confirmed through inquiries into the origin, previous owners and route used to transport the rifles.
Morales said each weapon could be worth between US$12,000 and US$14,000 on the illegal market. On that estimate, the shipment would be worth US$360,000 to US$420,000 before any entry into Brazilian territory, where the price could reach up to three times more. The prosecutor described the rifles as high-powered weapons capable of piercing certain types of armor.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered technicians from the General Directorate of War Material (Digemabel), the body responsible for controlling weapons and military materials in Paraguay, to carry out a technical inspection of the arsenal in Pedro Juan Caballero on Monday. The analysis is expected to help identify the origin and characteristics of the seized material.
The case comes as the application of Paraguay’s weapons regulations is also being discussed in Congress. Representatives of arms dealers and private security companies asked the Chamber of Deputies’ Anti-Narcotics Commission to review procedures established under Law No. 7,411/2024, which regulates the manufacture, import, transport, possession, carrying and sale of weapons.
The sectors argue that some license renewals still require in-person service despite Digemabel’s digital system. They also question the temporary suspension of import authorizations ordered by Decree No. 3,215 of January 7, 2025, while a special mechanism for these operations is awaited. The commission, chaired at the meeting by Deputy Francisco Petersen, intends to request official information from Digemabel and convene a working group. The discussion envisages simplifying procedures without reducing registration, oversight and traceability.