How the deadly assault on the 32 million dollar armored car happened in Santiago de Chile and the detail that made it fail

Shooting and Death at Santiago de Chile Airport

On Wednesday, a shooting occurred at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, the main airport in Chile, resulting in at least two deaths. The incident took place at around 8:30 a.m. local time, when a group of twelve criminals violently entered the terminal.

To gain entry, they knocked down one of the property’s entry gates. They then beat, tied up, and threatened one of the security officers, allowing them to pass through the first security checkpoint.

The criminals then took three vans and planned to intercept an armored truck belonging to Brinks, which was carrying 26 billion Chilean pesos (approximately $32 million). The money had arrived on a Latam airline flight from Miami, United States.

However, the criminals did not anticipate the swift response of the Directorate General of Civil Aeronautics personnel, who attempted to prevent the theft. According to the Director of Civil Aeronautics, the personnel’s rapid action was due to the fact that the tied-up officer had managed to free himself and alert his colleagues.

“They managed to cross the first line, but not the second, which is decisive. This is where they entered, but this is also where they were alerted. We must review the procedures, of course, and this is self-criticism,” said General Raul Jorquera, Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aeronautics.

The criminals opened fire on the officials, resulting in a shooting that left two people dead. Brinks, the company responsible for the cash transfer, stated that the commando group attempting to steal the money used “weapons of war.”

As a result, one of the security officials, identified as Claudio Alejandro Villar Rodríguez, was killed, along with one of the criminals attempting to loot the plane. The connection between two other injured individuals and the event is still being assessed.

As a result of the shooting, a Delta aircraft parked nearby sustained several gunshot wounds to the tail.

Unable to carry out the robbery, the criminals fled and left several burned-out cars abandoned on the highway connecting the airport to Santiago.

The Under Secretary of the Interior, Manuel Monsalve, confirmed that “two people who may be linked to the incident have been identified; this link has not been verified, but two people who have been injured by ballistic impacts have been admitted to two health centers in RM and are being investigated to determine if they are related to the event.”

Chilean President Gabriel Boric expressed his solidarity with the family of the DGAC official during a speech commemorating International Women’s Day.

“We know that security is a priority for Chileans. When there is insecurity, everything else falters,” he added.

“I want you to know that our government will relentlessly pursue, with justice and the full force of the law, crime and those who endanger the lives of our compatriots,” concluded Boric.