Police officer, seven inmates die in Paraguay prison operation

ASUNCION: A police officer and seven inmates died in Paraguay on Monday in a fierce gunfight that erupted during an attempt to transfer a drug trafficker who had part of a prison under his control, authorities said.

The drug trafficker, Javier Rotela, was captured in a section of the prison known as “The Jungle,” where he lived in comfort with his pregnant wife and three pit bulls and ran a small supermarket, said police commissioner Nimio Cardozo.

He said more than 2,200 police and soldiers had taken part in the operation at Tacumbu prison, located about 15 blocks from the center of the capital, Asuncion.

Cardozo said prisoners had opened fire on the officers, one of whom was shot in the head and died, while another is in intensive care for a bullet wound to the temple. He said 14 other officers had bullet wounds, as did an unspecified number of prisoners.

“With firmness and determination we have carried out a historic and unprecedented operation in order to build a safer country for our families,” President Santiago Pena told a news conference.