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Father Killed and Son Missing After Daytime Abduction at La Bocana Beach

Authorities say recent arrests and a 100 million‑peso reward are meant to speed the search for the missing 22‑year‑old and hold a local gang network to account.

Overview

  • Police say armed men intercepted tourists Alexander Valencia Hernández and his son Nicolás at La Bocana beach, and Alexander was later found dead while Nicolás, 22, remains missing.
  • In raids carried out after the case drew national attention, officers detained five suspects they link to the criminal group Los Shottas and recovered a rifle, handguns, a fragmentation grenade and phones.
  • Authorities identified and arrested a suspected leader nicknamed 'Cheo', whom prosecutors say heads a local RAER support network tied to the ELN and faced existing arrest warrants.
  • The regional government offered a reward of up to 100 million pesos for information on Nicolás’s whereabouts and police and the Fiscalía continue searches and judicial investigations.
  • The attack on a public tourist spot has renewed local alarm over gang control in Buenaventura, strained trust in urban peace talks, and prompted calls for a stronger security presence on Pacific coast beaches.