Overview
- Before dawn on Nov. 18, attackers on a motorcycle fired on the main gate of El Rápido’s Chuquitanta yard, where police recovered eight shell casings and counted six bullet impacts, with no injuries reported.
- This was the third transport-related shooting in roughly 72 hours, following the Nov. 16 ambush of a San Germán bus in SMP that was recorded by the assailant; driver Roberto Japay survived.
- Recorded voice messages sent to transport workers demand cash and threaten further attacks if “cupos” are not paid, according to excerpts shared by local media.
- The PNP’s Extortions Division says the perpetrators have been identified, profiling some as foreigners, as investigators analyze crime-scene evidence and security camera footage.
- Service has been disrupted, with El Rápido keeping its yard closed and about 80 buses off the road, while drivers report fear on routes and discuss a 48-hour stoppage.