In a rural community along Nicaragua’s Río San Juan border with Costa Rica, a police officer was reportedly killed after a chase for a gunman. The National Police reported the incident on Wednesday, describing a violent sequence that unfolded in the region near the Costa Rican frontier.
According to the police account, on Tuesday afternoon in the community of Los Chiles, within the San Carlos municipality, the Tapir patrol unit of the Directorate of Special Police Operations, also known as Doep, engaged in operations aimed at locating those responsible for a civilian death. During a Saturday attack, Doep officers were conducting searches and making captures when the violence escalated. The police stated that two suspects were pursued, each riding a motorcycle. During the pursuit, one of the suspects produced a firearm for which the pursuing officer, acting to protect life, fired in response. The force used by the officer was described by authorities as necessary to prevent a lethal threat. The incident resulted in the death of the pursuing officer at the scene, and the authorities reported the presence of a firearm and ammunition at the site. The victim was identified by the National Police as Gexson Leonel Escorcia Moreno, who the agency described as engaged in criminal activity. Authorities reported finding ammunition, 116.4 grams of crack cocaine residue, and a plastic bag at the location. [Citation: National Police]
Freddy Antonio Torres Amador, who accompanied the deceased officer, was arrested at the scene. Police statements labeled Torres Amador as responsible in connection with the incident, though officials did not specify the exact charges at that moment. The investigation continued as authorities prepared to transfer him to the appropriate judicial authorities for formal processing. [Attribution: National Police]
The police indicated that the operation was part of an ongoing effort to identify and apprehend those behind the murder and related violence that occurred last Saturday in rural Río San Juan. The attack left two people dead, including an officer, and several others injured. Witnesses described the assailants as unidentified gunmen who ambushed a company vehicle belonging to a cocoa exporting operation. The vehicle carried staff and payroll workers as part of a security operation on the ground. In the aftermath, the company’s deceased convoy member was named Aracely Marisol Díaz Salinas, 21, who had recently completed training at the police academy, while Pedro Pablo Chavarría Rivas, 56, described as an administrative worker for Agro Industrial Del Río, was also killed. The attack was reported to have involved at least ten gunmen and occurred despite patrols guarding the company vehicle. [Source: Police records]
Authorities stated that continued searches and arrests were being conducted in coordination with the Nicaraguan Army to dismantle the group behind the assault and the broader security threat in the region. The ongoing investigation and joint operations reflect the authorities’ commitment to restoring safety in the border area and to holding those responsible to account for their actions. [Cited: National Police updates]