Fatal Operation Leads to Seizure of Fighting Cockerels in Paraguay Prison

A tense standoff between inmates and security forces at a prison in Paraguay resulted in the death of eleven inmates and a police officer. The incident occurred when prisoners opened fire on police who entered the jail in the capital city, Asunción, to transfer a notorious drug lord named Armando Javier Rotela. Rotela was in control of a section of the prison known as "The Jungle," where he operated a small supermarket. During the operation, authorities also confiscated three pit bulls and multiple fighting cockerels. According to police commissioner Nimio Cardozo, Rotela, who is the leader of the criminal clan that shares his name, lived comfortably in The Jungle with his pregnant wife, dogs, and cockerels. It took a force of 2,500 soldiers and police officers to regain control of the Tacumbú penitentiary. Unfortunately, one policeman succumbed to a fatal gunshot to the head, and another suffered serious injuries. Many other inmates and security personnel also sustained injuries in the gunfight. To combat the influence of the Rotela Clan, the authorities have been attempting to dismantle the group's hold on Tacumbú prison for several months. Earlier incidents, such as the hostage-taking of over 20 prison guards in October, demonstrated the power the Rotela Clan wielded within the jail. President Sebastián Peña, who assumed office in August, has vowed to dismantle the group. The justice ministry plans to disperse inmates who were moved from the overcrowded penitentiary to other prisons throughout the country. However, some security analysts worry that this action may only distribute the power of the Rotela Clan, rather than weaken it. The whereabouts of the clan's leader following the relocation have not been disclosed. Armando Javier Rotela, a 41-year-old who has gained immense notoriety as one of Paraguay's most influential criminals over the past two decades, was initially arrested in 2000 for cattle raiding and later convicted of robbery. He then became known as the "crack czar" for his control over the illegal drugs market in Paraguay. Rotela is infamous for recruiting women and children to transport drugs, as they attract less police attention. After his arrest in 2011, large sums of money were discovered submerged in plastic bags in a pond on his property. He managed to escape from prison the following year and remained a fugitive until 2016 when he was rearrested. Analysts suggest that he has continued to expand his drug trafficking operations from behind bars. The struggle to regain control of prisons that have long been managed by inmates is not unique to Paraguay. In Venezuela, the leader of a gang-operated "luxury" prison, complete with a mini-zoo and baseball field, escaped in September and remains at large.