In a tragic incident that has sent shockwaves through El Salvador, the country’s police chief, Mauricio Arriaza, is among nine people who perished in a helicopter crash on Sunday evening. The helicopter, a UH-1H military aircraft, went down near Pasaquina, close to the Honduran border, shortly after take-off.
At the time of the crash, Police Director-General Arriaza was escorting Manuel Coto, a fugitive former bank director, to the capital, San Salvador. Coto, a key suspect in a high-profile multi-million-dollar embezzlement case, had been accused of siphoning off $35 million from the COSAVI credit union.
Local media reports indicate that a TV news crew was also on board, covering the transfer of Coto following his arrest by Honduran police. Honduran authorities had apprehended Coto as he attempted to flee to the United States with the help of a people-smuggler. His arrest had come as a surprise, as Salvadorean authorities previously announced his detention in Panama in July, raising questions about how he resurfaced in Honduras.
Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele, who had appointed Arriaza as chief of police in 2019, expressed his deep sorrow over the crash. In a statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), President Bukele hinted that the crash may not have been an accident and called for a thorough investigation. He pledged to seek international assistance to determine the exact cause of the tragedy.
Arriaza was a crucial figure in Bukele’s tough anti-gang initiatives, which saw El Salvador’s once-alarming homicide rates plummet. Despite the success in reducing violence, the president’s security crackdown has faced criticism from human rights organisations, with allegations of arbitrary detentions and limited access to fair trials.
President Bukele praised the late police chief as “a fundamental part of bringing peace and security to our people.” In honor of Arriaza, he declared three days of national mourning, during which flags would be flown at half-mast.
The crash marks a devastating loss for El Salvador’s law enforcement, as Arriaza had been central to restoring public safety in a country once plagued by rampant gang violence. The death of Manuel Coto adds a dramatic twist to the high-stakes investigation into the embezzlement scheme, which had already seen 15 individuals, including Coto’s parents, arrested in connection to the case.
As the nation grieves the loss of a key figure in its battle against crime, many will look to the investigation for answers into what truly caused this tragic incident.
Melissa Enoch
Follow us on:
Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has condemned the commercialisation of GMO seeds, warning of threats to Nigeria’s food…
Oleksandr Usyk has secured victory over Tyson Fury in Riyadh, successfully defending his heavyweight championship…
Albania plans a one-year TikTok ban from January after a schoolboy’s death sparks concerns over…
A suspect accused of killing five people by driving into a crowded Christmas market in…
A US Navy F/A-18 Hornet was mistakenly shot down over the Red Sea by the…
NNPC has reduced petrol ex-depot price to N899 per litre, sparking competition with Dangote Refinery…
View Comments
<<<<recruitement form="" is="" out="" we="" are="" replacing="" a="" new="" officers="" interested="" applicant="" should="" contact="" us="" for="" more="" information.;="">>><VEHICLES @ RICES
THIS INFORMATION IS FROM THE NIGERIA PORT AUTHORITY FOR AUCTION >Custom Auctions Is Up Again and Granting Nigerians the
Privilege to Own Vehicles at Affordable RatesFOR MORE INFORMATION Call or message on WhatsApp O8O__6739__9O9O.
RICE AVAILABLE FOR SALES ARE :-
MamaGold=29,500
Royal umbrella=29,500
Mama Gold=29,500
Rising sun=29,500
Mama Africa=29,500
Elephant Gold=29,500
Caprice =29,500
NOTE: Delivery fee IS (#4000)
*These Vehicles Are Impounded Due To Smuggling And Improper registration.*
*These Vehicles Are Direct Tokunbo and Has Never Been Used In Nigeria.*.For any purchase
Call the officer
O8O__6739__9O9O
•Toyota Land Cruiser-N1.3m
•Toyota Prado N1.2m
•Toyota Corolla
–N600,000
•Toyota Camry –N650,000
•Toyota Avensis –N800k
•Toyota sienna –550,000
•Toyota Yaris – N900,000
•Toyota picnic _ N450,000
•Toyota Venza– N1.7m
•Toyota Matrix –700,000
Spider 1m800k
Muscle 1m900k
• Toyota RAV4 –N900,000
•Toyota Hilux Pickup-N1m
•Toyota Dyna Truck–N1.3million
•Toyota 4 Runner–N1m
tundra 2.670,000
tacoma 2.5Million
•Toyota Hiace Bus –N1.5m
•Toyota Highlander-N1.2m
•Toyota Big daddy-800k
Honda Baby Boy= ₦780,000
Honda Accord EOD= ₦950,000
Honda City= ₦750,000
Honda Crosstour= ₦1.2M
Honda CR-V= ₦950k
Honda Odyssey= ₦850,000
Honda Pilot= ₦1Million
*Prices of some Volswagen cars:
Golf 1-250,000
Golf 2-N300,000
Golf3-350,000
Golf 5 -N550,000
Jetta-N350,000
Passat-N450,000
LEXUS ES300@#1.3 MILLION
LEXUS ES330@#1.6 MILLION
LEXUS ES350@#2 MILLION
LEXUS RX300@#1.7 MILLION
LEXUS RX330@#3 MILLION
LEXUS RX350@#4 MILLION
LEXUS RX400@#3.5 MILLION
LEXUS GX460@#4 MILLION
LEXUS GX470@#5 MILLIONLexus GX460=₦6.6M
Lexus GX470=₦8.4M
Lexus GX570=₦13.8M
Lexus IS-250=₦2.1M
Lexus ES-330=₦1.5M
Lexus ES-350=₦2.6M
Lexus RX300= ₦1.5M
Lexus RX330= ₦2.8M
Lexus RX350= ₦3.2M. BENZ C-CLASS ₦3,000,000
MERCEDES-BENZ E-Class ₦3,500,000
MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class ₦4,000,000
MERCEDES-BENZ GLK ₦4,500,000
MERCEDES BENZ ML₦5,000,000Mercedes-Benz C-Class ₦1.5 million
Mercedes-Benz E-Class ₦1.7 million
Mercedes-Benz G-Class ₦2.5 million
Mercedes-Benz GLK ₦3.5 Million
Mercedes Benz ML350 ₦2.3 million
Mercedes Benz g-wagon ₦125 million.
MANY MORE EXCLUSIVE OFFER'S LIKE.....
LAPTOPS, GENERATOR'S, FRIDGE, CONTAINERS, PHONE, MOTORCYCLE, AND KEKE.. BALE OF CLOTHES...
👉KEKE MARUWA.
Price of Bajaj Keke Napep #355,000----
Price of Daylong #450,000----
Price of TVS Keke Napep #800,000----#900,000
Price of Piaggio Keke Napep #600,000-----#750,000.
👉 CONTACT 08O ___-6739 __-9O9O Bags of cement #3,500
Delivery cost is #1,000
EVERY BUYER IS EXPECTED TO PAY FOR THE DOCUMENTS OF THE VEHICLES BEFORE THE DELIVERY WILL COMMENCE!!!!WE DELIVER NATION WIDE NOTICE INSTALLMENTAL PAYMENT IS ALLOWED!!! ONLY INTERESTED BUYERS SHOULD CONTACT: THE OFFICER O8O__6739__9O9O THANKS FOR PATRONIZING WITH US.!!!〽.〽.〽.〽.〽.〽.〽.〽.〽.〽.〽.〽.〽.〽.〽.〽.