The fugitive suspected of being the mastermind behind the murders of British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian indigenous activist Bruno Araújo, which occurred in June in the Brazilian Amazon, was arrested again on Tuesday.
According to a statement from the Federal Police, agents of the entity “arrested the fugitive from justice known as ‘Colombia’, who is being prosecuted for being the leader of a criminal association dedicated to illegal fishing.”
“It should be noted that ‘Colombia’ is also a suspect in the murder of Bruno Pereira Araújo and Dom Phillips, whose investigation is still ongoing,” added the police, who are still unclear on the identity and nationality of the suspect.
Upon being linked by witnesses to the death of the journalist and the indigenista, “Colombia” appeared before the authorities with a Peruvian identity card, but also carried a Brazilian one in the name of Rubens Villar Coelho.
For using two identities, “Colombia” was arrested and the authorities later identified him as Rubén Darío da Silva Villar, a Colombian national, but this origin has not been fully proven either.
In October, after paying 15,000 reais (about 3,000 euros) in bail, “Colombia” was released on parole to respond to justice with an electronic bracelet and unable to leave Manaus, the regional capital of the state of Amazonas.
His detection was once again ordered by the Federal Court of Tabatinga”, on the triple border shared by Brazil, Colombia and Peru, “because the prisoner did not comply with the conditions imposed for his probation”, the police said.
Reports indicated that “Colombia” had returned to the city of Benjamín Constant to continue his illegal fishing activities, for which the court revoked his probation.
According to the authorities, “Colombia” will return “to the prison system and to avoid a new escape, the Federal Police will request his transfer to a maximum security federal prison.”
After the confession of two of the seven accused of the double homicide, the bodies of Phillips and Araújo were found lifeless near Atalaia do Norte, where they had traveled to gather information for the British journalist’s book.
Phillips, a contributor to The Guardian, was writing about threats against indigenous peoples in the Javari Valley, one of the regions with the largest number of uncontacted ethnic groups in the world, where fishing and poaching coexist with drug trafficking and piracy. .
Source: TSF
