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Four agents from the Scientific, Penal, and Criminal Investigations Corps (CICPC) of Venezuela were detained and expelled from the institution after appropriating cash found among the rubble of collapsed buildings in the state of La Guaira, the hardest hit by the double earthquake on June 24.
The CICPC identified the four detained officials as Aguilar Reyes Maya, Fredy Rafael Lugo Oliveros, Roger Andrés Omaña, and Josué Jhonatan Burgos Sánchez.
The four were arrested by commissions from the Division of Investigations of Crimes Against Public Faith (DIDFP) of the very agency, as revealed on X by the Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace.
“The Corps of Scientific, Penal, and Forensic Investigations (Cicpc) issues a firm and categorical statement in accordance with the principles of transparency, ethics, and integrity that govern our police institution,” wrote the public agency alongside a video showing one of the agents removing his badges and firearm.
The theft that triggered public outrage
The case was triggered by the viral spread of videos on social media showing a CICPC inspector, identified as "Inspector Ragnar," holding a bag of 100 dollar bills among the rubble of the Vallarta residences in Playa Grande, La Guaira.
According to complaints from neighbors, the allegedly stolen amount would reach about 10,000 dollars found among the debris of the collapsed buildings.
In the face of distrust towards the security forces and the impossibility of recovering the money through other means, men and women from the community seized the bag from the agent and tore the bills with their own hands, in a gesture that became a symbol of popular outrage.
The Venezuelans who tore up the dollars were captured on video shouting at the inspector: “Thief! Give it back! I’ve recorded you for all the networks.”
The institutional response of the CICPC
The director of the CICPC, Douglas Rico, issued an official statement in which he indicated that the officials, “deviating from their duties and taking advantage of rescue and humanitarian assistance efforts, acted disgracefully by appropriating economic valuables found among the rubble.”
The organization announced that “the definitive and irrevocable separation from their positions of all officials involved has been carried out, and the corresponding disciplinary investigation has been initiated for their immediate dismissal”, and that they will be brought before the courts.
The Ministry of Popular Power for Interior Relations, Justice, and Peace also publicly thanked, through its official account on X, those who alerted about the events.
"We thank the citizens who, with courage and responsibility, reported these events and provided the material that evidenced the irregularity", they wrote.
Cabello promised "zero tolerance."
The Minister of Interior, Diosdado Cabello, reacted on his Telegram channel, labeling the actions of the police as "shameless, indecent, and immoral," and promising that they will be "judged accordingly."
"We will be completely intolerant towards those who, while in uniform, commit acts against morality, against good customs, and we will be even more severe in cases of a great upheaval like this where there are individuals who seek to take advantage of the suffering and the property of others," he stated.
The opposition party Primero Justicia had already reported the "exploitation by some officials of the regime, who, instead of honoring their oath and safeguarding the lives of Venezuelans, are seeking among the rubble how to profit from the tragedy."
A pattern of looting in the midst of the catastrophe
The incident is not isolated.
This Wednesday, six officials from the CICPC were detained at the San José de Barlovento Subdelegation in Río Chico, Miranda state, accused of stealing materials from homes affected by the earthquake.
Since June 25, looting was reported in damaged businesses in La Guaira and Catia La Mar, and on June 28, five civilians were arrested for theft in evacuated homes.
Everything takes place in the context of the most significant seismic disaster in Venezuela in over a century.
The double earthquake on June 24 -with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, separated by just 39 seconds- resulted in 1,943 deaths and 10,571 injuries according to official figures so far, while the UN estimates up to 50,000 missing and material damages are estimated at 6.7 billion dollars.
Cabello himself had acknowledged in June that more than 28,000 police officers were dismissed and prosecuted in the last two years for corruption and extortion in Venezuela, which demonstrates that the behavior of these agents is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a structural problem within the regime's security forces.
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