Police in Colombia have arrested a man suspected of killing 13 kidnapped workers in a gold mine in neighboring Peru.
Miguel Antonio Rodríguez Díaz, aliased as “cuchillo” (knife), was arrested in the city of Medellin in the Peruvian Ministry of Interior and the Colombian Police Department.
The body of the miner was recovered on May 4 from a tunnel in a mine in the Pataz district of Peru.
Mr. Rodríguez Díaz's lawyer denied his involvement in the murder.
Peru, one of Latin America’s largest gold producers, has seen a surge in violence among illegal miners and organized criminal gangs.
Peruvian authorities said the 13 men killed in Patz were sent to face a group that attacked and occupied the mine but were ambushed and occupied for trying to regain control.
The Peruvian Ministry of Interior said in a statement that Rodríguez Díaz allegedly ordered the attack to order the entrance to the mine in order to steal gold extracted by miners.
It added that he was charged with “organized crime, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated homicide”.
Video released by authorities showed he was detained by armed police in the busy central area of Medellin.
Colombia Police Chief Carlos Triana said Mr. Rodríguez Díaz was supported by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and was under the INTERPOL red notice.
The Peruvian Ministry of Interior said they hope Mr. Rodríguez Díaz will be extradited to Peru in the next few days.
La Poderosa, who owns the mine where the murder occurred, had previously said 39 people with connections to the company had been killed by a criminal gang in Pataz.
The recent attack prompted Peruvian President Dina Boluarte to impose a night curfew in Pataz and suspend mining for a month. Additional police and soldiers were also dispatched to the area.
