An armed attack on a police station in the Naranjito colony, Ybyrarobaná district, Canindeyú department, resulted in the deaths of two National Police corporals and one civilian employee, and left one officer injured. The attack, which occurred on Tuesday night, was carried out by an estimated group of 20 to 30 heavily armed men, who set fire to the precarious police facility after the shooting.
Interior Minister Enrique Riera attributed the attack to the self-styled Paraguayan People's Army (EPP), based on ballistic evidence linking one of the weapons used to a previous attack on a police station in Ybyrarobaná in May 2025, also attributed to the group. However, authorities also indicated that the EPP did not act alone, possibly recruiting or allying with other criminal groups in the region involved in activities such as drug trafficking.
The commander of the Internal Defense Operations Command (CODI), Alberto García Gaona, acknowledged that security forces received no prior intelligence warning of the attack and were caught off guard by the action. The military response only occurred after a direct request for support from the National Police.
Senators from various parties, including the opposition and dissident members of the ruling Colorado Party, converged in harsh criticism of the government, classifying the episode as a clear demonstration of the advance of organized crime and the fragility of the security system. Senator Éver Villalba (PLRA) even denounced alleged corruption agreements between police sectors and criminal organizations to collect monthly quotas.
In response, the National Defense Council (CODENA) announced the deployment of more military troops to the region and a reassessment of the security strategy. Minister Riera stated that precarious police posts will be closed and officers will be regrouped in better-equipped stations to avoid exposing small, poorly armed contingents.
The Senate plans to summon the Ministers of Interior and Defense for a closed-door session in the first week of August to assess the situation and discuss legislative and budgetary measures to strengthen internal security.