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Argentine Prison Escapee Yonatan Da Silva Captured in Paraguay After Weeklong Manhunt

Paraguayan authorities now hold him pending extradition procedures.

Overview

  • The arrest occurred in Yatytay Bonanza, Paraguay, following a coordinated operation between Misiones police and Paraguayan security forces that included an undercover agent.
  • Investigators traced his cross-border movements after issuing an international alert with identifying details, which Paraguayan officers used to confirm his identity.
  • Da Silva fled Misiones’ Unidad Penal VII on November 16, reportedly exploiting a power outage to scale the perimeter wall.
  • Nine penitentiary officers who were on duty during the escape were removed from their functions while an internal investigation proceeds.
  • He had been detained since 2020 for the killing of his stepmother, Patricia Fixa Mereles, and a 2022 life term for femicide was later revised to require new sentencing for aggravated homicide, leaving no final sentence at the time of his escape.