Four Venezuelan investigative police officers have been arrested and removed from their posts after allegedly stealing money found among the rubble in La Guaira, the state hardest hit by last week’s devastating double earthquake.
The officers belonged to the Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales y Criminalísticas, known as the CICPC. Venezuelan media identified them as Maya Aguilar Reyes, Fredy Rafael Lugo Oliveros, Roger Andrés Omaña and Josue Jhonatan Burgos Sánchez. Burgos Sánchez was reportedly the officer seen in viral footage holding foreign currency while being confronted by angry residents.
The incident took place in La Guaira, north of Caracas, where the June 24 earthquakes caused widespread destruction. Authorities now say the twin quakes have killed at least 2,295 people and injured 11,267, with thousands more displaced as rescue and recovery operations continue.
Videos circulating on social media show furious residents surrounding a uniformed officer in the disaster zone. In one clip, people shout insults as they accuse the officers of taking money from the debris. Another video appears to show a woman tearing up bills that had allegedly been taken from the scene.
Douglas Rico, the national director of the CICPC, said the officers had strayed from their duties while supporting rescue and humanitarian work and had improperly taken valuables found among collapsed buildings. The agency said the officers were permanently removed from their posts, placed under administrative investigation and handed over to prosecutors with jurisdiction over corruption-related crimes.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the government would be “totally intolerant” toward officers who use their uniforms to take advantage of people’s pain or property during the emergency. He said the detained agents would be judged accordingly.
The arrests come amid growing reports of looting and theft in earthquake-damaged areas. Reuters reported that residents and volunteers have accused some members of the security forces of blocking aid, taking donations and removing items from collapsed buildings, though the government has blamed some of the criticism on misinformation.
The accusations have deepened public anger in La Guaira, where civilians and volunteer rescue crews have been digging through debris with limited equipment while families continue searching for missing relatives. International rescue teams and local firefighters remain active in the hardest-hit areas, but residents have complained that the official response has been slow and uneven.
The CICPC case has become one of the most visible examples of alleged abuse in the aftermath of the disaster. For many Venezuelans, the images of officers accused of taking money from the rubble have added another layer of outrage to a tragedy already marked by mass casualties, damaged homes and mounting frustration over security and aid distribution.