The Chief of Police in Miami, Manuel A. Morales, confirmed on Wednesday that Damián Valdez-Galloso, who was sought as a "person of interest" in the case of the Cuban reggaeton artist José Manuel Carbajal, El Taiger, is responsible for the artist's murder.
In a press conference, the official stated that Valdez Galloso is the material author of the shot that caused the death of the popular musician, and he has been arrested in New York after being a fugitive since October 3.
He also stated that the detainee will be transferred to Miami-Dade County in the coming hours to face trial.
“Damian was the one who shot; he is the one responsible, and there is no one else involved," Morales stated, adding that the crime occurred in the city of Hialeah.
He stated that there is a video that will be revealed later and expressed gratitude to the community of Miami and Hialeah for their cooperation in clarifying this crime that shocked the Cuban and artistic community in Cuba and South Florida.
"We are working with the state prosecutors, especially with Prosecutor Katherine Fernandez, to ensure the charges that will be brought against Damián and that he pays for his crime," she emphasized.
"In our minds, there is no doubt that he was the one who fired the shot; there are videos that will serve as evidence and will be in the hands of the prosecution," Morales commented.
He also explained that the arrest was made on Tuesday thanks to the efforts of the Miami Police, whose officers flew to the Big Apple to support their New York colleagues in the apprehension.
He also dismissed rumors that El Taiger had died from torture or as a result of any settling of scores, as had been speculated: "We have no evidence that he was tortured; he was murdered," he clarified.
Finally, he highlighted the work of the Miami police, who managed to capture the fugitive in less than a month. "Our agents solve 97% of crimes in the state; this is an achievement," he stated.
The Cuban reggaeton artist was found in the back of a Mercedes-Benz truck with a gunshot wound to the head on October 3 in front of Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and was declared dead seven days later, on October 10.
The police had reported that Valdez-Galloso was a person of interest in the case and offered $5,000 for information leading to his whereabouts.
"We always knew it," said Morales, clarifying that sometimes terminology can complicate the resolution of a case, which is why it had not yet been confirmed that the individual in question was the only suspect.
El Taiger is one of the most important figures in the genre known as cubatón, which blends reggaeton with Cuban rhythms. In just over 15 years, he achieved numerous hits—such as La Historia, Southwest, El Punto, and La Cura—and made contributions to the genre that established him as an icon of contemporary Cuban music.
He was known among his followers as "Big Tai," "The Beast, the Machine, the Animal," or simply "The Tranka of my country."
Dozens of activists on the island have revealed in recent days that amidst the widespread crisis, the musician has supported countless social causes from anonymity.
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