Although no angle has been ruled out, the theory of narcotics trafficking as the motive for the murders of five men who were found naked on Tuesday in Carolina and San Juan is gaining weight.

Police superintendent Joseph Gonzalez said they have received multiple tips that support the suspicions.

“It probably has to do with drug trafficking, but we are not going to rule out other angles,” said González in an interview with El Nuevo Día.

He noted that because of “the type of scene, the fact that they were tortured...that normally, based on experience, it has to do with drug trafficking."

“But, likewise, the intelligence that is reaching us indicates the same thing,” he added, without offering additional details so as not to affect the investigation."“Most of the intelligence (is) indicating that it’s because of drug trafficking.”

He also noted that the police divisions in charge of the investigation have received information from federal agencies and municipal police.

According to this media outlet, one of the theories that has circulated is the possibility of retaliation for the theft of a narcotics shipment.

González did recall that, between 2010 and 2011, cases were reported in Puerto Rico, including one in Carolina, where “they used saws”.

“There were two cases. I think one was in Sabana Abajo, for revenge. They killed the son of a drug trafficker who cooperated with the authorities,” said González. “The other was for a shipment that was stolen, where they used torture and a saw to send a message.”

Two of the naked bodies were found at a scene reported at about 3:26 a.m. on Roosevelt Street in the Figueroa neighborhood of San Juan. One of the deceased was identified as Nathan Borques, 18, a resident of San Jose reservoir in Hato Rey.

Later, at about 8:30 a.m., the second scene was reported at the end of Paseo Los Gigantes Avenue, in front of a church in Carolina. Three naked male bodies were found there.

Of the five victims, four have not been identified. According to Gonzalez, some of the information they have received suggests that at least two of the victims are of Dominican origin and their families are afraid to approach the authorities.

Of the total number of deceased, two had their hands tied behind their backs, while at a glance investigators observed that two of the men had gunshot wounds. At each scene there was also a victim with at least one severed finger.

“We are not going to rule out that they are related because of the characteristics of the two scenes, that they are naked and tortured,” González commented.

One of the matters under investigation is the place where they were killed. They are trying to corroborate a tip about a piece of clothing burned in a location that, at this time, has not been disclosed.

According to Gonzalez, “at the Carolina scene, those three individuals were probably killed in another area and left there. The bodies appear to have sand and some type of dirt on them.”

“They have signs that they were dragged. In San Juan there were shell casings, but we have to wait for the autopsy,” he added.

Regarding the level of violence presented in both scenes, González accepted that “it is not common in Puerto Rico”.

“Yes, we have seen somewhat similar scenes in the past, but we are not going to allow it. All units are on the street to clear up this case,” he said.

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This content was translated from Spanish to English using artificial intelligence and was reviewed by an editor before being published.