Chile Jails 3 Over Martín Pérez Kidnapping

CHILE · CRIME

A Chilean court has jailed three suspects in the kidnapping and death of a 19-year-old in Santiago. Prosecutors say five people were in custody by 30 October.

A court in Santiago ordered pretrial detention on Monday, 2 November, for three suspects in the Martín Pérez kidnapping case. Prosecutors say Pérez, 19, was abducted in the Estación Central district on Monday, 26 October, and later found dead.

Estación Central is a district of western Santiago, the capital of Chile. For US readers, the case shows how Chilean prosecutors and courts handle a serious kidnapping with suspects from abroad.

What Prosecutors Say Happened to Martín Pérez

Pérez disappeared on the evening of Monday, 26 October, and his family filed a complaint in the early hours of Tuesday. Prosecutors say he went to Estación Central of his own accord and was tricked into a car.

His body was found on Friday, 30 October, in Colina, a district north of Santiago, Carabineros and prosecutors confirmed. Prosecutors said the spot was not a place where he had been held.

Prosecutor Pablo Sabaj, acting head of the ECOH team in Santiago, called it a kidnapping to obtain money. He said talks with the family went on after Pérez was already dead.

General Jaime Velasco, a senior Carabineros investigator, said preliminary lab findings put the death a few hours after the abduction. The family has said it paid part of the sum demanded before contact stopped.

What the Court Decided

On Monday, 2 November, a guarantee court in Santiago ordered pretrial detention for three suspects on kidnapping-with-homicide charges. A guarantee court is the judge who supervises suspects’ rights during a Chilean criminal investigation.

At the prosecutors’ request, the judge also kept the investigation confidential for now. Pretrial detention keeps suspects in custody while the case is prepared, and it is not a verdict.

Local reports say a fourth suspect was already jailed and a detained woman was released. Prosecutors said all five people held by Friday, 30 October, are Venezuelan.

Local reports describe the three jailed on Monday as Venezuelan, in line with that statement. Every suspect is presumed innocent until a court convicts, and none has been tried.

The Ride-App Driver’s Statement

One suspect, who drove for a ride app, gave police a voluntary statement after waiving his right to silence, local reports say. He says a message on 26 October asked him to drive for a kidnapping, and he agreed expecting money.

He also says nobody paid him and that the plan was never to kill anyone. Those are one suspect’s claims, untested in court, and not evidence against anyone else.

Prosecutors’ public account is that Pérez died within hours of the abduction. They have not said how the driver’s statement fits their findings.

In Plain English

• ECOH: the organised crime and homicide team of the Santiago prosecutor’s office, which runs this investigation.
• OS9: the Carabineros unit that investigates organised crime and carried out the raids and arrests.
• Guarantee court: the judge who checks that suspects’ rights are respected and decides on custody before trial.
• Pretrial detention: custody while prosecutors prepare the case, ordered by a judge and open to appeal.

What It Means for You

Nothing in the public record says tourists or foreign investors were targeted. Prosecutors say Pérez went to the meeting place himself and was deceived.

US travellers can read the State Department’s current Chile advisory before booking, because ratings change. Background on policing and organised crime is in the Rio Times security guide.

Read the companion guide, the Martín Pérez case explained, for who is involved and what each court step means. Related coverage includes Chile security and crime explained and the government response to the Puente Alto clinic attack.

More is on the Chile hub, in the Chile country guide and in the Santiago city guide. Border policy is covered in Chile’s border crossings report.

What Is Not Known

Prosecutors have not made public the suspects’ names, the full charges against each or a complete arrest count. One report of a sixth arrest has not been confirmed.

The court file has not been seen; the nationality of the three jailed on Monday comes from local reports. The motive, the role of any organiser and the context of the meeting remain under investigation.

What Comes Next

Prosecutors continue to investigate, and the court has kept the file confidential for now. Prosecutors have said they are also checking whether the suspects belong to a criminal group.

New arrests or charges would come through further hearings. Pretrial detention does not predict the outcome of a trial.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Martín Pérez?

Martín Pérez was a 19-year-old abducted in Estación Central, Santiago, on Monday, 26 October. His body was found on Friday, 30 October, in Colina.

How many people have been detained?

Prosecutors said five people were in custody by Friday, 30 October, all Venezuelan. A court jailed three suspects before trial on Monday, 2 November.

What are the suspects charged with?

The three jailed on Monday face kidnapping-with-homicide charges. They are presumed innocent, and no trial has taken place.

Was a ransom paid?

The family says it paid part of the sum demanded before contact stopped. Prosecutors say talks with the family continued after Pérez had died.

Does the case affect US visitors to Chile?

Nothing in the public record says foreigners were targeted. Check the State Department’s current Chile advisory before you travel.

Sources: Statements by Chilean prosecutors (ECOH Metropolitano) and Carabineros of 30 October to 2 November 2026 and the court hearing of 2 November, as relayed by local outlets; Fiscalía de Chile, national news page (no release on this case found on 3 November); Carabineros de Chile; Poder Judicial de Chile; US Department of State, Chile Travel Advisory (all accessed 3 November 2026).