What We Know About the Martín Pérez Suspects

CHILE · EXPLAINER

This guide sets out what is publicly known about the people held in a Chilean kidnapping case. It keeps what prosecutors say apart from what one suspect claims.

The Martín Pérez suspects are people held after the kidnapping and killing of a 19-year-old in Santiago, Chile’s capital. Prosecutors say he was abducted on Monday, 26 October, and found dead on Friday, 30 October.

Few details about the suspects are official, and none has been tried. Every suspect is presumed innocent until a court rules otherwise.

Who Are the Martín Pérez Suspects?

On Friday, 30 October, prosecutors said five people were in custody. Chilean authorities described all five as Venezuelan, and three local outlets repeated it.

Prosecutors added that some of the five have prior arrests and that their immigration status varies. Nationality describes the people held, not the crime, and no court has found anyone guilty.

No official list of names has been published, so this guide names no suspect. On Monday, 2 November, local outlets also reported a further detainee, counted as fifth or sixth.

What Prosecutors Say Each Person Did

• Four of the five detainees took part directly in the kidnapping, according to the acting head of the ECOH team.
• One detainee is probably the person who caused the death, the same prosecutor said.
• One detainee collected the ransom money and is in custody, as the prosecutor described it.
• Others with a lesser part had not been detained when the prosecutor spoke on 30 October.
• The original idea and first instructions came from inside a prison, the prosecutor said as an early assessment.

These are prosecutors’ working descriptions, given on the day the body was found. Roles can overlap, and charges may change as the investigation continues.

What the Courts Have 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 protects suspects’ rights before trial.

Local reports say a fourth suspect was already in jail, and one report says a detained woman was released. The investigation is confidential at the prosecutors’ request, which limits what becomes public.

Pretrial detention keeps a person in custody while the case is prepared. It is not a verdict, and it can be appealed.

What the Suspects Themselves Say

One local outlet quotes a detained suspect as saying the group did not mean to kill and wanted only the ransom. No second outlet carried the statement, so it is an unconfirmed claim.

Prosecutors say the victim died within hours of the abduction and that talks with the family went on afterwards. They have not said how any suspect’s account fits their findings.

How to Read a Suspect’s Statement

A statement is one person’s version of events, and it can protect the speaker by playing down his role. A judge weighs it against phone records, witnesses and forensic findings.

It is not evidence that other suspects did anything. Nothing a suspect has said has been tested in court.

This guide leaves out names, aliases and any detail of what happened to the victim that officials have not confirmed. Those omissions protect the presumption of innocence and the dignity of the family.

In Plain English

• ECOH: the organised crime and homicide team of the Santiago prosecutor’s office.
• Carabineros: Chile’s national police, whose OS9 unit investigates organised crime.
• Guarantee court: the judge who checks suspects’ rights and decides on custody before trial.
• Pretrial detention: custody while prosecutors prepare the case.

What It Means for You

For US readers, the case shows that prosecutors’ statements, court rulings and a suspect’s claims carry different weight. Nothing in the public record says tourists or foreign investors were targeted.

Travellers can read the State Department’s current Chile advisory before booking, because ratings change. The newest development is in Chile reports another Martín Pérez arrest.

The earlier coverage is in Chile jails three over the Martín Pérez kidnapping and the case explained step by step. More is on the Chile hub, in Chile security and crime explained and in the Santiago city guide.

What Is Not Known

Prosecutors have not published the suspects’ names, the full charges against each person or a confirmed total of detainees. The identity, nationality and role of the newest reported detainee are unknown.

The court file has not been seen, and one outlet reported a separate drug charge for one detainee, which is unconfirmed. Motive and the role of any organiser remain under investigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the Martín Pérez suspects?

Prosecutors say five people were in custody by 30 October, and Chilean authorities described them as Venezuelan. No official list of names has been published, and all are presumed innocent.

How many suspects are in jail?

A Santiago court ordered pretrial detention for three suspects on 2 November, and local reports say a fourth was already jailed. A further detainee has been reported but not confirmed.

Have any suspects given statements?

One outlet quotes a suspect denying any plan to kill. It is an unconfirmed, untested claim and not evidence against anyone else.

Why are no suspects named here?

Prosecutors have not named them, and every suspect is presumed innocent until a court convicts. Naming people before charges are tested risks harm to the innocent.

Does the case affect visitors to Chile?

Nothing in the public record says tourists 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).