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
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.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
In the early hours of Sunday, Paraguay's Ministry of Justice executed Operation Umbral 2.5, transferring 109 women deprived of liberty from the Juana María de Lara Women's Penitentiary Center in Ciudad del Este to the Emboscada Women's Penitentiary Complex (COMPLE). The action, which lasted just over an hour, involved a strong security scheme and is part of the reorganization of the prison system, which also includes the relocation of pregnant women and mothers with young children to the Serafina Dávalos Penitentiary Center in Coronel Oviedo.
Jorge Alexandro Berdaberry Rotela, 22, was detained in Ciudad del Este for attempted theft and linked to a fatal accident on Route PY07 in Presidente Franco that killed Ysidro Paiva Santander, 64. Alcohol test was positive.
The promissory note mafia, a scam scheme that has lasted two years, remains unpunished. Victims, mostly public employees, denounce judicial delays and new types of scams, such as the sale of promissory notes from closed companies and the non-return of documents after debt settlement. Senators and the mayor of Ciudad del Este met with those affected, but the justice system has not advanced.