A Gendarmería official was detained on December 31, 2025, for trying to smuggle drugs into the Valparaíso Prison Complex amid a corruption crisis in the institution. The agency dismissed him immediately and opened an administrative inquiry. This incident follows the recent formalization of 42 former gendarmes for bribery offenses in Operation Apocalipsis.
On December 31, 2025, a Gendarmería official was discovered and immediately detained while attempting to smuggle drugs into a module of the Valparaíso Prison Complex. The institution confirmed the incident via an official statement, noting that the individual was dismissed from his duties and an administrative inquiry was launched to clarify responsibilities.
Gendarmería stressed its commitment to transparency and integrity: “We reiterate our firm commitment to transparency and probity, rejecting and condemning outright any conduct that deviates from the principles of public service and the oath of service. We will not tolerate actions that endanger the integrity of the criminal justice system and our country's institutions.”
This case arises amid a recently uncovered corruption network in Gendarmería involving more than 40 people, including bribes for allowing prohibited items and charges for undocumented persons' access to prisons. On December 30, Santiago's 12th Guarantee Court confirmed preventive detention for 42 former gendarmes in the Operation Apocalipsis probe, investigating bribery, corruption, and undue benefits to inmates.
Chile's prison crisis extends beyond overcrowding and poor conditions to the institution itself responsible for custody and social reintegration. Experts like David Segall, associate at Albagli Zaliasnik's Criminal Litigation Group, highlight the paradox of gendarmes committing crimes while aiming to rehabilitate prisoners. In an unprecedented formalization hearing, uniformed gendarmes guarded their colleagues wearing yellow vests.
With rising organized crime, urgent measures are needed to detect irregularities, advance civil service careers, and improve working conditions, ensuring Gendarmería's integrity in fighting crime.
