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Two Vipusa Buses Shot in Villa El Salvador, Driver Critically Wounded as Police Probe Extortion

Police are investigating possible extortion tied to coordinated attacks.

Overview

  • Two buses from the Vipusa company were fired on within an hour on the night of September 22 in Villa El Salvador, with the first attack at the Lubricante stop on Avenida Mateo Pumacahua.
  • The driver, identified as Joel Leandro Ramos Verástegui, sustained four gunshot wounds and remains hospitalized in critical condition, according to reports from the Hospital de Emergencias de Villa El Salvador.
  • Witnesses said two gunmen opened fire when the bus halted and then escaped on a motorcycle, and a second unit a few blocks away was also shot as passengers fled.
  • Emergency response was delayed, with no ambulance available and reported waits of about 25 minutes for Serenazgo and 53 minutes for police, leading colleagues and neighbors to transport the victim in a private vehicle.
  • Authorities have opened a criminal investigation and cited a possible link to extortion against Vipusa, which has faced multiple prior attacks, as transport workers and residents call for stronger patrols and protections.