The Chilean government has confirmed the arrest of Maickel David Villegas Rodríguez in Costa Rica, a suspect in the kidnapping and murder of Ronald Ojeda, a former Venezuelan military officer and dissident living as a refugee in Chile. Villegas, 27, was apprehended in accordance with an Interpol red notice while traveling with migrants from Panama to Nicaragua via Costa Rica, prompting Chile to initiate extradition proceedings to bring him to trial in Chile.
Ronald Ojeda’s remains were located earlier this year, buried under cement in Santiago. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab has suggested that the murder might hold a political motive, describing it as a potential “false flag” operation aimed at damaging diplomatic relations between Chile and Venezuela, although the political aspect remains under investigation.
Villegas Rodríguez was identified and detained at the Costa Rican border, where the migration police detained him before transferring him to San José. The Third Guarantee Court of Santiago has already held a hearing to initiate formal investigations against Villegas in his absence, addressing concerns related to potential flight risk. The judge ordered the case details to be forwarded to the Santiago Court of Appeals, which subsequently approved Villegas’ detention and dismissed defense objections.
Ojeda’s widow, son, and sister have since moved to Argentina, citing experiences of surveillance and hacking attempts in Chile. They sought refuge under President Javier Milei’s government. In response, Chilean government spokesperson Camila Vallejo stated that Chile is a safe country and will only comment further upon receiving official communication from the Argentine government.
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