Armed Criminals Arrested In Antofagasta

Carabineros in Antofagasta carried out two separate operations this week that ended with three arrests in the city’s northern sector, according to local reports published on May 13. Two of those detained were identified as foreign nationals, ages 18 and 15, accused of robbing a 55-year-old man with what police later described as a pellet gun. (biobiochile.cl) In a parallel operation, officers from the Sección Encargo y Búsqueda de Personas y Vehículos, or SEBV, arrested a 29-year-old Chilean man who had been evading justice for nearly three years. Local outlets said the cases were presented as part of ongoing policing efforts in a region that has faced repeated concerns over violent crime and organized criminal activity. (antofagasta.tv) ### Where did the robbery arrest happen? (biobiochile.cl) The first arrest operation began at the intersection of calle Machupichu and pasaje Independencia in Antofagasta’s northern sector, local reports said. A 55-year-old man told officers he had been approached by two men with covered faces who threatened him with what appeared to be a firearm and stole his cellphone before fleeing through nearby passageways. Carabineros from the 2nd police station then carried out an immediate search in the surrounding area using preventive patrols already deployed in the neighborhood, according to the reports. Officers spotted two people whose clothing matched the victim’s description, and the pair tried to run before being caught a short distance away. (biobiochile.cl) ### Who were the two suspects and what was seized? The two robbery suspects were reported to be foreign nationals ages 18 and 15 who were in Chile irregularly, according to BioBioChile and other local outlets. Officers recovered the stolen cellphone and seized a pellet pistol that authorities said had been used in the assault. Both were placed at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. (biobiochile.cl) The use of a pellet gun was one of the central details in the case because the victim had initially reported being threatened with what appeared to be a firearm. Local reports did not identify the suspects by name, and authorities had not publicly detailed any formal charges beyond the robbery allegation at the time of publication. (biobiochile.cl) ### How was the three-year fugitive found? A second operation took place at avenida Rica Aventura and Ascotán Norte, where SEBV officers located a 29-year-old Chilean man under the Plan Operativo de Captura de Prófugos, according to local reports. Police said intelligence work allowed officers to identify and arrest him after he had spent nearly three years avoiding capture. (biobiochile.cl) The man had an active arrest order dating from May 2023, Reporte Diario said, citing a warrant issued by the local guarantee court. The underlying conviction was tied to crimes under Law 20,000, Chile’s anti-drug-trafficking statute. ### What sentence was still pending? (biobiochile.cl) Antofagasta TV reported that the 29-year-old man still owed a sentence of 1,082 days in prison for drug-trafficking offenses. The outlet also said he had six prior criminal cases on his record. El Diario de Antofagasta reported that the fugitive, once detained, was to be transferred so he could serve the outstanding sentence in prison. BioBioChile’s version of the case likewise said he had been evading justice for almost three years before the arrest in Antofagasta. (biobiochile.cl) ### Why did the arrests draw attention in Antofagasta? BioBioChile’s Antofagasta regional page shows the arrests came amid a broader stream of crime reporting in the region, including cases involving shootings, organized-crime prosecutions and anti-smuggling operations in recent weeks. (reportediario.cl) In April, the same outlet reported convictions against a cell linked to Tren de Aragua in Antofagasta on charges including homicides, kidnappings and drug trafficking. (antofagasta.tv) Local outlets framed the May 13 arrests as evidence of coordinated police work rather than as a standalone incident. In these two cases, that coordination involved patrol officers responding to a street robbery and SEBV officers pursuing a separate fugitive under a dedicated capture plan. (diarioantofagasta.cl) May 13 was the publication date for the local reports detailing both operations, and prosecutors were next in line to process the two robbery suspects while prison authorities were expected to receive the 29-year-old fugitive to serve his sentence. (biobiochile.cl) (biobiochile.cl)