In early October 2024, a tragedy shook the local community in Lorca, a town in the Murcia region. Within the span of an hour, the bodies of two men with gunshot wounds were found. One of the victims was discovered in the trunk of a car in the Ramonete area, while the other was found near a residence in El Cantal. The proximity of the crime scenes and the similarity of the circumstances immediately led investigators to suspect a connection between the events.
Officers from the Guardia Civil quickly put forward the theory that this was a clash between two criminal gangs. According to their information, both the victims and the suspects were involved in negotiations likely related to the illegal trafficking of drugs or weapons. At some point, the situation escalated out of control and the meeting ended in a shootout that left both men dead.
Arrest Details
In early December, nearly two months after the tragedy, law enforcement launched a large-scale operation to apprehend the suspects. The most challenging part of the special operation took place in Roquetas de Mar (province of Almería), where the main suspect in the case was living. During the arrest, he confronted the special forces with a weapon in hand, underscoring the danger posed by the suspects. Around fifty officers from the Guardia Civil took part in the operation.
At the suspect’s home, police found a 9mm handgun, two long-barreled firearms including an assault rifle classified as a military-grade weapon, as well as a large quantity of ammunition and mobile phones. The suspect was immediately taken into custody. Two other individuals were also arrested at the same residence on suspicion of illegal weapons possession, although they are not believed to be connected to the murders.
The investigation is ongoing
In parallel with the operation in Almería, two more suspects were detained in Murcia and Lorca. One of them has also been placed in pretrial detention, while the other was released under judicial supervision. Investigators do not rule out the emergence of new suspects as the case develops, since those already detained have an extensive record of past offenses.
Special attention was given to one of the victims, Giuliano Velo, an Italian citizen previously convicted of drug trafficking and awaiting trial in Spain. Despite this, investigators found no direct links between the incident and the Italian mafia. The main theory is that the incident stemmed from a conflict between two local gangs that escalated into an armed confrontation.
Weapons and danger
The confiscated weapons and ammunition, according to the Civil Guard, posed a serious threat to the public. This was one of the key reasons why the arrests were carried out as quickly as possible. During the raids, mobile phones were also seized, which may shed light on the details of the negotiations between those involved in the conflict.
Authorities emphasize that the operation to detain the suspects and seize the weapons was one of the most complex and dangerous in the region in recent times. The investigation is ongoing, and new details and further arrests may emerge in the coming weeks.
If you weren’t aware, the Guardia Civil is Spain’s national law enforcement agency, with broad powers to combat organized crime, terrorism, and the illegal arms trade. Elite units specializing in high-risk arrests are often deployed in such operations. In recent years, the agency has been actively working to dismantle criminal groups involved in drug trafficking and arms smuggling, particularly in the southern regions of the country.
