In a pre-dawn police raid on Monday, Paraguayan lawmaker Eulalio "Lalo" Gomes was killed in a chaotic shootout at his home. Gomes, a member of the ruling Colorado party, was targeted in an operation against drug trafficking and money laundering near Paraguay's border with Brazil. Police allege Gomes fired at officers, prompting them to return fire.
The raid also targeted the home of Gomes' 32-year-old son, Alexandre, leading to a brief gunfight there. Alexandre fled but later surrendered to authorities. The event highlighted the deep-rooted connections between politics and organized crime in Paraguay, with political analyst Leonardo Gómez Berniga stating, "This is not an isolated case."
Public Prosecutor Emiliano Rolón emphasized that the raid, conducted at 3 a.m., was necessary due to security concerns. Family members, however, accuse the police of using excessive force, faulting them for busting through the homes' front gates rather than calling the men in for questioning. His daughter contradicted officials' story, saying, "My dad was hiding and the police just killed him." Rolón said the approach was necessary because of the armed guards that patrolled Gomes' property during the day. The incident underscores growing regional cooperation in combatting drug trafficking, with authorities from Brazil assisting in the investigation. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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