Overview
- Prison staff at the Establecimiento Penitenciario de Puerto Maldonado stopped José Anthony Soto Vásquez after he tried to flee from pavilion 4 of the maximum-security wing.
- According to the national prison authority INPE, he climbed a wall using perimeter mesh near guard tower 4 and crossed the roofs of the meditation area and the crafts workshop before alarms triggered.
- The director activated the anti-escape plan, locking down access points and cordoning routes inside and outside the facility, which allowed teams to intercept the inmate and regain control.
- INPE notified the National Police and the Public Ministry, and prosecutor Maruja Mora Gutiérrez of the Tambopata provincial office is now leading the investigation.
- Authorities are reviewing whether he had help and whether vulnerabilities like the perimeter mesh require reinforcement, which could lead to tighter controls at the prison.