Killers of Paraguayan Prosecutor Marcelo Pecci Sentenced to 23 Years

            Four suspects have confessed to the murder of Paraguayan prosecutor Marcelo Pecci last month on May 10th. In a plea deal, the four received a sentence of 23 years in prison each, halving the standard sentence of 47 years for such a plot due to their cooperation.

            Pecci (45) was a well-known prosecutor in the country for his work fighting organized crime, particularly drug trafficking and gangs. According to the BBC, he was a part of “A Ultranza Py,” Paraguay’s largest operation fighting cocaine trafficking and transport in its history, and he additionally led an investigation into the shooting of drug trafficker Marcos Rojas Mora at a music festival this year.

            Pecci was shot on the Colombian Island of Barú while on a honeymoon with his wife, journalist Claudia Aguilera. From Aguilera’s testimony, two men came at them in a small watercraft until one jumped out and shot Marcelo in the face and back, then drove off without another word.

            From the information provided by the cooperating suspects, the Brazilian major cocaine exporter gang First Capital Command was involved in coordinating the murder in response to Pecci’s fight against their work. According to The Guardian, the organizers were paid $500,000 for their involvement in the killings. Of other known suspects involved, a fifth has pleaded innocent as of now while a sixth is still being searched for.

            Two hours before the attack, Aguilera shared on Instagram that she was pregnant. The government and the country of Paraguay are still mourning the loss of Pecci, a man who did countless good works in his role.