Colombia Police Say Paraguay Anti-Mafia Prosecutor's Killing Likely 'Transnational' Hit

Colombia's police said Wednesday that the Paraguayan prosecutor killed while on his honeymoon was likely a victim of "transnational" criminals working across borders.

According to Reuters, General Jorge Luis Vargas, head of Colombia's national police, told reporters about their "big hypothesis" that Marcelo Pecci's killing was likely related to his prosecutions in Paraguay.

The 45-year-old prosecutor, who is known for fighting organized crime, was shot dead on Baru island near the Caribbean city of Cartagena Tuesday while on his honeymoon with his wife.

Pecci's prosecutions in his home country often focused on high-stakes anti-money laundering and anti-drug cases.

"We're talking about a transnational crime system, highly planned, in which it's probable that a large amount of money was spent to carry out the murder," Vargas noted.

Vargas said Colombia's police have images of the main suspect. However, he did not confirm the rumors that non-Colombians may have also been involved.

Nimio Cardozo, a senior official with Paraguay's national police, arrived in Colombia's capital, Bogota, to assist in the investigation. U.S. drug and other federal agents are also in Colombia to investigate.

Death of Paraguay Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Marcelo Pecci

Marcelo Pecci died after he was shot twice while he was lounging on a beach on the tourist island of Baru, said Paraguayan journalist Claudia Aguilera, who is his wife.

Pecci and Aguilera got married in the nearby city of Cartagena on April 30. Aguilera said Pecci did not receive any threats.

The Paraguayan journalist noted that two men arriving on a small boat or jet ski at Decameron Hotel, where they were staying, shot Pecci in the face and the back, The Guardian reported.

In a statement, the Decameron Hotel said the hitmen arrived at the beach, attacked one of their guests, and fired at their security guard, who was unhurt.

The Colombian police have offered at least $500,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Grainy CCTV and an artist's impression shared by the authorities showed one of the suspects wearing a black long-sleeved T-shirt, black shorts, and a Panama hat.

Colombia and Paraguay Officials on the Prosecutor's Death

Several officials from Paraguay and Colombia have commented on the tragic death of Marcelo Pecci.

Marta Lucia Ramirez, vice president and foreign minister of Colombia, has condemned the killing of Pecci and said that Colombian President Ivan Duque has been in communication with Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez following Pecci's murder.

The Paraguayan president described the shooting as a "cowardly murder."

"We condemn this tragic event in the strongest terms and redouble our commitment to fight against organized crime," Benitez noted. The Paraguayan president also extended condolences to the prosecutor's family.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

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