Mafia prosecutor shot dead on Colombia honeymoon

A Paraguayan anti-mafia prosecutor, was on honeymoon on the tourist island of Baru in Colombia, when he was shot dead by two gunmen.

Marcelo Pecci was on an idyllic beach when the shooting place, just two hours after his new bride and posted on Instagram that she was pregnant.

Claudia Aguilera, journalist and Pecci’s wife, told he El Tiempo newspaper that they were approached by two men on a private beach before he was shot. She said they had not received any threats.

Describing the incident, she said: “Two men attacked Marcelo. They came in a small boat, or on a jet ski, the truth is I did not see well.

“One of the assailants got out and without a word he shot Marcelo twice, one [bullet] hit him in the face and another in the back.”

The killing has been described by Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez as “cowardly”, tweeting: “The cowardly assassination of the prosecutor Marcelo Pecci in Colombia saddens all the Paraguayan nation.

“We condemn in the most energetic terms this tragic occurrence and redouble our commitment in the fight against organised crime.”

A statement released by the Decameron Hotel, where the couple were staying, said: “Assassins arrived at the beach… and attacked and murdered one of our guests”.

A colleague of the deceased’s, Paraguayan prosecutor Augusto Salas, told AFP: “The attack appeared typical of the [drug] mafia, so that is what I will think until the contrary is proven.”

Investigators are travelling from Paraguay to assist Colombian police in their investigations, with officials from the Unites States also providing assistance.

Pecci specialised in organised crime, drug-trafficking, money-laundering and terror financing. He achieved international fame working on the case against Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho, after he tried to enter Paraguay with a fake passport.

The murder of the Anti-mafia prosecutor, who was shot dead while on honeymoon in Colombia, follows a number of mass shootings in South America where rival drug gangs have been competing for territory.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.