british tourist shot in argentina

Matthew Gibbard: Four arrested after British man shot dead in Buenos Aires in Argentina

During the robbery outside a Buenos Aires hotel, a second British man - his 28-year-old stepson - was hurt after also being shot.

Monday 16 December 2019 18:56, UK

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Four people have been arrested after a British businessman was shot dead on holiday in Argentina.

Matthew Gibbard, 50, a businessman from Northamptonshire, was named as the victim after a shooting involving a robbery gang in Buenos Aires.

During the robbery outside a luxury hotel, a second British man - his 28-year-old stepson Stefan Zone - was injured after also being shot.

The tourists were targeted by two men on a motorbike on Saturday morning in an attack caught on CCTV.

Officials said the holidaymakers were shot in a struggle as they attempted to stop the robbers stealing their belongings.

Both were taken to hospital after the attack near the entrance to the Faena Art Hotel in the Puerto Madero district.

Mr Gibbard had been shot in the chest and later died, while his stepson suffered a thigh injury.

More from UK

Hainault stabbings: Schoolboy killed in sword attack named as Daniel Anjorin - as family pays tribute to 'wonderful child'

Hainault stabbings: Police update on 'horrifically serious' injuries suffered by officers in sword attack

Scottish government survives vote of no confidence at Holyrood

Police believe the motorbike robbers were supported by accomplices in a vehicle and are looking into whether the victims were followed to the hotel from the airport, according to local media.

Officers have identified suspects but have arrested four members of the wider gang suspected of co-ordinating the crime.

Gabriel Berard, of Buenos Aires police, told reporters: "It's not the first thing they have done here in the city of Buenos Aires. We already managed to identity the actors and we are working on their arrest."

Deputy chief of government of Buenos Aires, Diego Santilli, said the police had carried out 18 raids in the investigation.

He tweeted: "What happened on Saturday was an atrocious event and these criminals are murderers. My sincerest condolences to the family of Matthew Charles Gibbard."

Mr Gibbard was a director of a firm in Northamptonshire called Tingdene which makes holiday homes and lodges.

Fellow manufacturer Omar Park Homes sent their condolences on Twitter to Tingdene staff.

In a statement, the hotel said: "Faena Hotel Buenos Aires is deeply saddened by the incident which took place in the vicinity of the hotel.

"We express our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims. Faena Hotel Buenos Aires is working with the authorities and providing our full support."

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are supporting the family of two British men following an incident in Buenos Aires, and are in contact with the local authorities there."

More than 111,000 British nationals visited Argentina in 2018, according to the Foreign Office, which said most visits are "trouble-free".

But tourists are warned to be alert to street crime, including armed robberies, and advised to hand over cash and valuables without resistance.

Travel safety expert Lloyd Figgins told Sky News: "Crime rates in Argentina are actually rising. Where the murder rate has actually dropped over the last 12 months, 300 more violent crimes have occurred in Argentina in just one year.

"And what we're seeing is that criminals are actually targeting specific things, particularly passports, money and documents that are going to be of value to them."

He added: "It is concerning because criminals are becoming a lot more organised.

"And we're starting to see they are having insiders working for airlines, where they are actually getting the manifest of a particular flight in order they can see who the business class travellers are, where they might be staying, and then targeting their vehicle from the moment they leave the airport, and knowing exactly which hotel they are going to.

"That in itself creates a choke point that makes it very easy for the criminals to target people."

In the last year, a Swedish tourist was shot in the leg while in the San Telmo region of the capital, and doctors had to amputate.

Weeks later a Canadian man was stabbed in an attempted robbery for his mobile phone.

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Arrests at UCLA, Columbia as campus demonstrations intensify

Argentina: british tourist killed in mugging attempt, argentina britain tourist killed.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Assailants shot two British tourists while trying to rob them in Argentina's capital Saturday, killing one and seriously injuring the other, authorities said Saturday.

The attack occurred as the tourists approached a luxury hotel in the Puerto Madero area of Buenos Aires, the Argentine news agency Telam said.

Argentine officials said in a statement that assailants on a motorcycle, apparently supported by accomplices in a car, tried to steal the belongings of the tourists, according to Telam.

The tourists attempted to resist, the statement said. One was shot in the groin and the other was shot in the right lung. Both were taken to a hospital.

Police launched an operation to find the attackers.

The British Embassy said later that one man was 50 and was the stepfather of the other man, a 28-year-old. The older man was killed. On requests from the family, authorities were not giving out the names of the pair.

Recommended Stories

2024 nfl draft grades: denver broncos earn one of our lowest grades mostly due to one pick.

Yahoo Sports' Charles McDonald breaks down the Broncos' 2024 draft.

NFL Power Rankings, draft edition: Did Patriots fix their offensive issues?

Which teams did the best in the NFL Draft?

The It List: Met Gala 2024 is a fashion feast for the eyes, 'The Idea of You' will give you butterflies, Ryan Gosling plays 'Action Hero Ken' in 'The Fall Guy'

With highly anticipated new movies and the star-studded Met Gala on the horizon, it's a great week for celebrity enthusiasts.

Does castor oil really help with hair growth? We asked the experts, and their answer may surprise you

It's inexpensive, but is it effective? Dermatologists' verdict is in — and it's unanimous.

New details emerge in alleged gambling ring behind Shohei Ohtani-Ippei Mizuhara scandal

It turns out the money was going from Ohtani's bank account to an illegal bookie to ... casinos.

Formula 1: Miami Grand Prix sends cease and desist letter to prevent Donald Trump fundraiser during race

Race organizers say they'll revoke a Trump fundraiser's suite license if he holds an event for the former president on Sunday at the race.

NFL Draft grades for all 32 teams | Zero Blitz

Jason Fitz and Frank Schwab join forces to recap the draft in the best way they know how: letter grades! Fitz and Frank discuss all 32 teams division by division as they give a snapshot of how fans should be feeling heading into the 2024 season. The duo have key debates on the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and more.

The best RBs for 2024 fantasy football according to our experts

The Yahoo Fantasy football analysts reveal their first running back rankings for the 2024 season.

10 cars with paint problems, according to Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports shares the ten vehicles most prone to paint problems, and they span quite an array of models.

Tight end rankings for 2024 fantasy football

The Yahoo Fantasy football analysts reveal their first tight end rankings for the 2024 season.

MLB Power Rankings: Braves move into the top spot followed by Dodgers, Phillies as injuries take a toll across the league

From the Braves to the Marlins, here's where all 30 teams stand after the season's first month.

The expanded 12-team College Football Playoff is here — and it already has problems

There is cause for excitement around the new playoff format. There's also lots of complaints and criticism to go around.

Tyrese Maxey saved the Sixers' season with one of the toughest playoff performances ever

On Tuesday, Maxey — an All-Star, the league’s Most Improved Player, and now, author of one of the most legendary postseason performances in Philadelphia basketball history — helped the Sixers survive to see a Game 6 against the Knicks.

The Spin: Fantasy baseball's top developments (good and bad) from MLB season's first month

Scott Pianowski analyzes who's been helping fantasy baseball managers win or causing frustration a month into the season.

The best QBs for 2024 fantasy football according to our experts

The Yahoo Fantasy football analysts reveal their first quarterback rankings for the 2024 season.

Best places to get your car maintained and repaired

Consumer Reports offers a quick guide, with a few examples, of when you should get your car maintained and repaired at a dealership, vs. an independent shop, vs. a chain.

Rivian put out a feeler to test buyers' willingness to spend on a new R2

Members of the Rivian subreddit posted details of a survey they received, asking how much they'd be willing to spend on different R2 configurations.

Korey Cunningham, former NFL lineman, found dead in New Jersey home at age 28

Cunningham played 31 games in the NFL with the Cardinals, Patriots and Giants.

3 stocks with the biggest gains took April's biggest losses

The stock market's very rough April saw some of the biggest gainers of the first three months take some of the biggest dings to their market caps. And at the same time, some of the sectors that struggled in Q1 saw a similar reversal of fortune in April.

Panthers owner David Tepper stopped by Charlotte bar that criticized his draft strategy

“Please Let The Coach & GM Pick This Year" read a sign out front.

• Senate rejects DNU
• Omnibus bill
• Inflation data
• Argentina's 20 biggest landowners

ARGENTINA | 16-12-2019 07:00

Arrests after two british tourists shot, one killed, in puerto madero.

50-year-old dies, hours after being shot by robbers while resisting attack. His 28-year-old stepson in serious condition after being shot in leg. Police make four arrests, with more suspects still at large.

Share this News

Two tourists were robbed and shot outside the five-star Faena Hotel in Puerto Madero on Saturday, in dramatic scenes captured on camera. One, identified as a 50-year-old British tourist, later died after succumbing to his injuries.

Police confirmed Sunday that four Argentines have now been arrested in a series of raids after the attack, in which Matthew Gibbard died after trying to fight off armed robbers. His stepson, Stefan Zone, was injured in the shooting.

Officers are still said to be hunting other suspects, though they confirmed the motorbike used in attack had also been seized. The Associated Press later reported that officials confirmed they were searching for a fifth suspect.

The attack took place at around 11am Saturday morning. Officials said in a statement that assailants on a motorcycle tried to steal the belongings of the tourists, according to the Télam state news agency, just metres from the top-range hotel. From security footage, it appears there was another car, a red Ford Fiesta, involved. 

Read more...

Video: delivery man for glovo kills presumed thief.

According to local reports, one of the men now being detained is the owner of the car.

Over the weekend, President Alberto Fernandez described the murder as "atrocious" and urged the police to be "inflexible" in the hunt for the culprits.  

A spokesman for the British Foreign Office said: "We are supporting the family of two British men following an incident in Buenos Aires, and are in contact with the local authorities there."

Canadian stabbed in robbery as another tourist is attacked in San Telmo

The British Embassy confirmed it was supporting its countrymen. Ambassador to Argentina Mark Kent, who was travelling to Britain at the time of the attack, later tweeted out a message expressing his dismay at the incident, expressing his commiserations to the family.

The attack took place close to the hotel.

Gibbard, 50, was shot as he and his stepson approached the hotel in Puerto Madero. His stepson, a 28-year-old Briton, suffered a gunshot wound. 

The duo resisted the attack when the perpetrators attempted to steal their baggage and personal effects, video camera footage shows. As the struggle continued, one of the robbers pulled and fired a gun, shooting the father in his chest and armpit and the son in the thigh. 

Two assailants then escaped on a motorcycle. 

Speaking to local outlets, Alberto Crescenti, the chief of the ambulance service in Buenos Aires City, said the emergency call was received at 11.04am. When paramedics arrived, Crescenti said, they found Gibbard had been struck in the right armpit.

Medics believe the bullet likely continued through his chest, where it caused his heart to stop and possibly penetrated his lung.

Gibbard, identified in UK media outlets as "a British millionaire," was brought to Argerich Hospital. Crescenti described his condition as "grave" due to "major blood loss," and said that at around 2pm. he was declared dead in the middle of surgery. 

Zone, Gibbard's 28-year-old stepson, was brought to the same hospital to be treated for a gunshot wound to the thigh. He remains in a serious condition. The bullet was said to have just missed his femoral artery.  

Authorities told  Perfil  that security image analysis shows the family were followed by the suspects from the moment they left the Ezeiza international airport, where they had entered the country that morning.

Authorities also said that this tactic — tourists being followed from the airport and targeted as they try to enter hotels — has been used more regularly in recent months. 

The assault will be investigated by National Prosecutor in Criminal and Correctional 32, led by Ana Yacobuci, who already worked with the City police to get the security camera footage. 

Justice and Security Secretary for the City government, Marcelo D'Alessandro said more than a dozen searches had been carried out in Buenos Aires in the search for the suspects.

The attack against the British tourist joins a growing list of violent robberies against those visiting Argentina. They often start with attempted robbery and end with more serious injuries or fatalities when the victim tries to resist. 

More than 111,000 British nationals visited Argentina in 2018, according to the British Foreign Office, which described most visits are '"trouble free." It does, however, advise visitors to take care over street crime and to hand over cash and valuables without resistance. if attacked.

Eduardo Scarzello, a senior security official, confirmed the gang involved in Gibbard's death had operated at Ezeiza international airport, identifying wealthy tourists and following them to their destinations in order to rob them.

 – TIMES/PERFIL

In this news

• Ana Yacobuci
• Buenos Aires

Guillermo Piro: Premio de la Crítica al mejor libro del año

Salud: 5 tips para sentirse en forma y mejorar el bienestar general

Tras su separación, el video de Fátima Flórez imitando a Javier Milei

Continúa la financiación de Renault a tasa cero durante abril

Previous news of "argentina".

• Dec 9th-15th: What We Learned This Week
• Peronists usher in new era with party for the people
• Mixed signals on foreign policy as Fernández’s term begins
• Showdown looming as Kicillof says Buenos Aires Province faces cash crunch
• Newly inaugurated Fernández off to frantic start

Milei’s omnibus bill wins general approval in lower house Chamber of Deputies

Omnibus bill backing opens door to privatisation of state firms, labour reform

Milei wins key lower house support for Argentina’s reforms

Milei's liberalisation reforms get a provisional green light

Advancing US-Argentine energy and minerals cooperation

Qué pasará con la edad jubilatoria si se aprueba la Ley Bases en el Senado

Reforma laboral: qué cambia para trabajadores y empresas con la Ley Bases

Diputados: en una maratónica sesión de 30 horas, se aprobó la Ley Bases y el paquete fiscal con la vuelta de Ganancias

Emerenciano y Marcela Sena dejaron de ser considerados coautores del femicidio de Cecilia Strzyzowski

Con una apariencia desmejorada, el rey Carlos III retomó su agenda oficial con una visita a un centro oncológico

Argentina Killing: British Tourist Shot Dead In Robbery Outside Buenos Aires Hotel

News reporter, HuffPost UK

A British tourist was killed and another injured when they were shot outside a luxury hotel in Buenos Aires during a robbery.

The two men were targeted on Saturday morning by robbers on a motorcycle, supported by accomplices in a car, according to local media.

Naval officials said in a statement that the holidaymakers tried to resist attempts to steal their belongings, the Argentinian news agency Telam said.

Both were taken to hospital after the attack near the entrance of the Faena Art Hotel, in the waterfront Puerto Madero district of the Argentinian capital.

A 35-year-old man who was shot in the chest later died, while a 28-year-old man suffered a thigh wound, according to the A24 news channel.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are supporting the family of two British men following an incident in Buenos Aires, and are in contact with the local authorities there.”

More than 111,000 British nationals visited Argentina in 2018, according to the Foreign Office, which said most visits are “trouble-free”.

But tourists are warned to be alert to street crime, including armed robberies, and advised to hand over cash and valuables without resistance.

More In News

Brit tourist dies after being shot in 'ambush' outside 5-star hotel in Argentina

A British father and stepson were shot when thugs on a motorbike tried to rob them as they arrived in a taxi at the Faena Art Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina

• 17:40, 14 Dec 2019
• Updated 01:02, 15 Dec 2019

A British tourist has died and his stepson is in hospital after they were shot in an ambush outside a five-star hotel in Buenos Aires, according to reports.

It is said the 50-year-old man was shot in the lung during a violent struggle with gun-wielding robbers who were on a motorbike and in a car.

His 28-year-old son is in hospital after he was shot in the thigh, close to his groin.

The pair, thought to be from England, were attacked outside the doors of Faena Art Hotel in the capital's upmarket Puerto Madero neighbourhood at about 11am local time on Saturday.

The entire attack was captured on CCTV.

Sources told Infobae that the men were ambushed they got out of a taxi to enter the hotel close to the waterfront.

Do you know the people involved or did you witness the incident? Email [email protected].

The Brits were shot as they tried to resist the theft of their belongings, the sources added.

Aerial footage appears to show paramedics performing CPR on a man sprawled on the floor.

Initial reports said one of the men was in a serious condition after a bullet entered his body through his right armpit and went into his chest.

The bullet punctured the man's lung, Haceinstantes reported.

He was pronounced dead after arriving at a local hospital.

Local officials initially gave his age as 35, but later corrected it to 50.

Speaking before the British man was confirmed dead, Alberto Crescenti, of the SAME paramedic service, told Cronica: "Upon arrival, they met a 35-year-old man with an impact that had entered through his right armpit and had reached his chest."

Mr Crescenti added: "The impact that the 35-year-old man received caused considerable damage and blood entered his lung.

"He is very serious and health professionals are trying to save his life. We are very worried about him. The second, 28, is out of danger, thank God." 

The other tourist was in a stable condition after being shot in the thigh, close to his groin, Clarin reported.

The bullet just missed his femoral artery, it is said.

Witnesses heard at least give gunshots, La Nacion reported.

A witness told Canal America 24 that there was a commotion outside the hotel and he saw a person covered in blood on the ground as they were given medical treatment.

The witness was told at the scene that the victims were shot during an attempted robbery.

The witness, named only as Florencia, added: “When I reached the corner of the hotel I saw that there was a person lying at the front door and they were being attended to.

"A motorcycle passed, wanted to steal and shot them.

"After 15 minutes, paramedics came to assist them. It was very serious what happened. The delinquents escaped. It is supposed to be a safe area and is monitored by the Prefecture."

It is believed the robbers were being supported by accomplices in a car when they attacked the holidaymakers, according to reports.

The entire attack was captured by a CCTV camera mounted on a building across the street. 

Police have launched a hunt for the gunmen, who fled the scene.

A spokeswoman for the Faena Art Hotel said: "Faena Hotel Buenos Aires is deeply saddened by the incident which took place in the vicinity of the hotel.

"We express our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

"Faena Hotel Buenos Aires is working with the authorities and providing our full support."

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are supporting the family of two British men following an incident in Buenos Aires, and are in contact with the local authorities there."

The £350-a-night hotel has been named one of the best hotels in Argentina by critics.

It is set within the historic El Porteno building, a former grain warehouse made of imported Manchester bricks that was saved from the wrecking ball in 1998.

The building was transformed into a stylish hotel by Argentine fashion designer Alan Faena, opening in 2004.

The shooting happened in Puerto Madero, a revitalised dockside area which lures tourists with its Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve and upscale hotels and restaurants.

More than 111,000 British nationals visited Argentina in 2018, according to the Foreign Office, which said most visits are "trouble-free".

But tourists are warned to be alert to street crime, including armed robberies, and advised to hand over cash and valuables without resistance.

MORE ON Crime

Get email updates with the day's biggest stories.

Argentina: British tourist killed in mugging attempt

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Assailants in Argentina shot two British tourists while trying to rob them, killing one and seriously injuring the other, authorities said Saturday.

The attack occurred as the tourists approached a luxury hotel in the Puerto Madero area of Buenos Aires on Saturday, the Argentine news agency Telam said.

Argentine naval officials said in a statement that assailants on a motorcycle, apparently supported by accomplices in a car, tried to steal the belongings of the tourists, according to Telam.

The tourists attempted to resist, the statement said. One was shot in the groin and the other was shot in the right lung. Both were taken to a hospital.

Police launched an operation to find the attackers.

• Main content

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• UK Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Betting Sites
• Online Casinos
• Wine Offers

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

Argentina: British tourist ‘shot dead in front of son’ in daylight robbery

Thirty-five-year-old man shot dead while 28-year-old suffers thigh wound in buenos aires, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday

Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the us, thanks for signing up to the evening headlines email.

A British tourist has been shot dead in front of his son, who was also injured during a suspected robbery in Buenos Aires , according to local media.

The two men were reportedly both taken to hospital after the attack at about 11am on Saturday outside a hotel in the Argentinian capital.

A 50-year-old man who was shot in the chest later died, while a 28-year-old man, believed to be his son, suffered a thigh wound, according to the A24 news channel.

The men are said to have been hurt in a struggle as they were targeted by motorcycle robbers near the entrance to the Faena Art Hotel, in the waterfront Puerto Madero district of Buenos Aires.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are supporting the family of two British men following an incident in Buenos Aires, and are in contact with the local authorities there.”

Initial local media reports identified one of the victims as a 35-year-old, however this was later amended.

More than 111,000 British nationals visited Argentina in 2018, according to the Foreign Office, which said most visits are “trouble-free”.

But tourists are warned to be alert to street crime, including armed robberies, and advised to hand over cash and valuables without resistance.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Want an ad-free experience?

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

U.S. tourist faces 12 years in prison after taking ammunition to Turks and Caicos

An Oklahoma man faces up to 12 years in prison on a Caribbean island after customs officials found ammunition in his luggage.

Ryan Watson traveled to Turks and Caicos with his wife, Valerie, to celebrate his 40th birthday on April 7. They went with two friends who had also turned 40.

The vacation came to an abrupt end when airport staff members found a zip-close bag containing bullets in the couple's carry-on luggage. Watson said it was hunting ammunition he had accidentally brought with him — but under a strict law in Turks and Caicos, a court may still impose a mandatory 12-year sentence.

"They were hunting ammunition rounds that I use for whitetail deer," Watson told NBC Boston in an interview conducted last week that aired after their first court appearance Tuesday.

"I recognized them, and I thought, 'Oh, man, what a bonehead mistake that I had no idea that those were in there,'" he said.

The couple were arrested and charged with possession of ammunition. Authorities seized their passports and explained the penalties they faced.

Valerie Watson said in the interview: "When I heard that, I immediately was terrified, because I was like we can't both be in prison for 12 years. We have kids at home, and this is such an innocent mistake."

The charges against her were dropped, and she returned home to Oklahoma City on Tuesday after the court hearing to be reunited with her two young children.

"Our goal is to get Ryan home, because we can’t be a family without Dad," she said.

The couple also spoke about the financial burden of a much longer-than-planned trip. "This is something that we may never recover from," Ryan Watson said.

The U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas issued a warning to travelers in September about a law that strongly prohibits possession of firearms or ammunition in Turks and Caicos, an overseas British territory southeast of the Bahamas that is a popular vacation spot.

It said: "We wish to remind all travelers that declaring a weapon in your luggage with an airline carrier does not grant permission to bring the weapon into TCI [Turks and Caicos Islands] and will result in your arrest."

The embassy added: "If you bring a firearm or ammunition into TCI, we will not be able to secure your release from custody."

The embassy and the government in Turks and Caicos did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The same thing happened to another American, Bryan Hagerich, of Pennsylvania, who was arrested after ammunition was found in his luggage before he tried to board a flight out of Turks and Caicos in February. He said he accidentally left it in his bag.

Hagerich was on a family vacation with his wife and two young children but has now been in the country for 70 days. He spent eight days in prison before he posted bail.

"It’s incredibly scary. You know, you just don’t know what the next day may bring — you know, what path this may take," Hagerich told NBC Boston.

"You know, it’s certainly a lot different than packing your bags and going away with your family for a few days. It’s been the worst 70 days of my life," he said.

Hagerich, once a professional baseball player, was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the MLB 2007 June amateur draft from the University of Delaware.

His case goes to trial May 3.

Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Unprecedented wave of narco-violence stuns Argentina city

A prison guard sits in a watchtower at the Pinero jail in Pinero, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. President Javier Milei has called for harsher penalties against drug traffickers and military intervention. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A chain lock reinforces the locked door of a gas station that started closing shop at night after the killing of a worker at a nearby station a few weeks before, in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. The order to kill came from inside Ezeiza Prison from gang leaders who hired a 15-year-old hitman to kill gas station worker Bruno Bussanich on March 9. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A mural of soccer player Lionel Messi covers a building in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. The birthplace of Messi and revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara morphed about a decade ago into the country’s drug trafficking hub, as regional crackdowns pushed the trade south. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A child rides a bicycle past a mural of Gabriel Ignacio Romero, a resident who was murdered on the sidewalk outside his home the previous year, in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. For the past decade, the 1.3 million residents of Rosario have watched warily as presidents and their promises come and go. What endures, they say, is violence. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Police officer Georgina Wilke drives her patrol car in Rosario, Argentina, late Monday, April 8, 2024. Agents fanned out across hardscrabble areas, spending hours logging neighborhood activity and setting up checkpoints on major thoroughfares. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

People hang out at a park in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. The birthplace of Lionel Messi and revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara morphed about a decade ago into the country’s drug trafficking hub, as regional crackdowns pushed the trade south. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A resident who did not want to be identified shows the gun she keeps at her home for self-defense as she poses for a photo in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. The homicide rate is five times the national average in Rosario. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A mural of Claudio Ariel Cantero covers a wall alongside a supportive message of him written by his family, in Rosario, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Cantero, known as “El Pajaro,” or The Bird, was the leader of the criminal organization called “Los Monos,” or The Monkeys, and was shot to death at a bowling alley on May 26, 2013 in Santa Fe. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Police patrol the streets of Rosario, Argentina, as a family that collects disposed cardboard to resell pushes their children in a shopping cart, late Monday, April 8, 2024. Agents fanned out across hardscrabble areas, spending hours logging neighborhood activity and setting up checkpoints on major thoroughfares. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Geronima Benitez holds a photograph of her son Victor Emanuel, 17, who was murdered by drug traffickers who were never arrested two years ago, at her home in Rosario, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Benítez said her son’s killer still lives down her street and is not convinced a prison sentence would make a difference. “We, on the outside, live in prison,” she said. “Those inside have everything.” (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Geronima Benitez wipes her eyes as she speaks about her son Victor Emanuel, 17, who was murdered by drug traffickers who were never arrested two years ago, during an interview at her home in Rosario, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Benítez said her son’s killer still lives down her street and is not convinced a prison sentence would make a difference. “We, on the outside, live in prison,” she said. “Those inside have everything.” (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A banner hangs over a bus stop asking for justice regarding the murder of bus driver Cesar Roldan in Rosario, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Prison guards stand behind the entrance to Pinero jail in Pinero, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Authorities have ramped up prison raids, seized thousands of smuggled cellphones and restricted visits. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A police officer stands guard on a street in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. President Javier Milei has promised to prosecute gang members as terrorists and change the law to allow the army into crime-ridden streets for the first time since Argentina’s brutal military dictatorship ended in 1983. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

The Pinero jail complex stands in Pinero, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. President Javier Milei’s tough-on-crime message has empowered hardline governor Maximiliano Pullaro’s efforts to clamp down on incarcerated criminal groups, which he said planned 80% of shootings in Rosario last year. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Inmates play soccer at Pinero jail in Pinero, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Authorities have ramped up prison raids, seized thousands of smuggled cellphones and restricted visits. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

An inmate looks out from a window at Pinero jail in Pinero, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Authorities have ramped up prison raids, seized thousands of smuggled cellphones and restricted visits. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Prison guards stand inside the Pinero jail complex in Pinero, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. President Javier Milei has called for harsher penalties against drug traffickers and military intervention. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

• Copy Link copied

ROSARIO, Argentina (AP) — The order to kill came from inside a federal prison near Argentina’s capital. Unwitting authorities patched a call from drug traffickers tied to one of the country’s most notorious gangs to collaborators on the outside. Hiring a 15-year-old hit man, they sealed the fate of a young father they didn’t even know.

At a service station on March 9 in Rosario, the picturesque hometown of soccer star Lionel Messi, 25-year-old employee Bruno Bussanich was whistling to himself and checking the day’s earnings just before he was shot three times from less than a foot away, surveillance footage shows. The assailant fled without taking a peso.

It was the fourth gang-related fatal shooting in Rosario in almost as many days. Authorities called it an unprecedented rampage in Argentina, which had never witnessed the extremes of drug cartel violence afflicting some other Latin American countries.

A handwritten letter was found near Bussanich’s body, addressed to officials who want to curb the power drug kingpins wield from behind bars. “We don’t want to negotiate anything. We want our rights,” it says. “We will kill more innocent people.”

Shaken residents interviewed by The Associated Press across Rosario described a sense of dread taking hold.

“Every time I go to work, I say goodbye to my father as if it were the last time,” said 21-year-old Celeste Núñez, who also works at a gas station.

The string of killings offer an early test to the security agenda of populist President Javier Milei, who has tethered his political success to saving Argentina’s tanking economy and eradicating narco-trafficking violence.

A police officer stands guard on a street in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Since taking office Dec. 10, the right-wing leader has promised to prosecute gang members as terrorists and change the law to allow the army into crime-ridden streets for the first time since Argentina’s brutal military dictatorship ended in 1983.

His law-and-order message has empowered the hardline governor of Santa Fe province, which includes Rosario, to clamp down on incarcerated criminal gangs that authorities say orchestrated 80% of shootings last year. Under the orders of Governor Maximiliano Pullaro, police have ramped up prison raids, seized thousands of smuggled cellphones and restricted visits.

“We are facing a group of narco-terrorists desperate to maintain power and impunity,” Milei said after Bussanich was killed, announcing the deployment of federal forces in Rosario. “We will lock them up, isolate them, take back the streets.”

A mural of Claudio Ariel Cantero covers a wall alongside a supportive message of him written by his family, in Rosario, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Milei won 56% of the vote in Rosario, where residents praise his focus on a problem largely neglected by his predecessors. But some worry the government’s combative approach traps them in the line of fire.

Gangs started their deadly retaliations just hours after Pullaro’s security minister shared photos showing Argentine prisoners crammed together on the floor, heads pressed against each other’s bare backs — a scene reminiscent of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s harsh anti-gang crackdown.

“It’s a war between the state and the drug traffickers,” said Ezequiel, a 30-year-old employee at the gas station where Bussanich was killed. Ezequiel, who gave only his first name for fear of reprisals, said his mother has since begged him to quit. “We’re the ones paying the price.”

Even Milei’s supporters have mixed feelings about the crackdown, including Germán Bussanich, the father of the slain gas station worker.

“They’re putting on a show and we’re facing the consequences,” Bussanich told reporters.

A leafy city 300 kilometers (180 miles) northwest of Buenos Aires, Rosario is where revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara was born, Messi first kicked a soccer ball and the Argentine flag was first raised in 1812. But it most recently won notoriety because its homicide numbers are five times the national average.

Tucked into a bend in the Paraná River, Rosario’s port morphed into Argentina’s drug trafficking hub as regional crackdowns pushed the narcotics trade south and criminals started squirreling away cocaine in shipping containers spirited down the river to markets abroad. Although Rosario never suffered the car bombs and police assassinations gripping Mexico , Colombia and most recently Ecuador , the splintering of street gangs has fueled bloodshed.

“It’s not close to the violence in Mexico because we still have the deterrence capacity of the government in Argentina,” said Marcelo Bergman, a social scientist at the National University of Tres de Febrero in Argentina. “But we need to keep an eye on Rosario because the major threats come not so much from big cartels but when these groups proliferate and diversify.”

Drug traffickers keep a tight grip over Rosario’s poor neighborhoods full of young men vulnerable to recruitment. One of them was Víctor Emanuel, a 17-year-old killed two years ago by rival gangsters in an area where street murals pay tribute to slain criminal leaders. No one was arrested.

“My neighbors know who’s responsible,” his mother, Gerónima Benítez, told the AP, her eyes shiny with tears. “I looked for help everywhere, I knocked on the doors of the judiciary, the government. No one answered.”

A fearful existence is all Benítez has ever known. But now, for the first time in Argentina, warring drug traffickers are banding together and terrorizing parts of the city previously considered safe.

Imprisoned gang leaders in Latin America have long run criminal enterprises remotely with the help of corrupt guards. But according to an indictment unveiled last week , incarcerated gang bosses in Argentina have been passing instructions on how to kill random civilians via family visits and video calls.

Court documents say the bosses paid underage hit men up to $450 to target four of the recent victims in Argentina’s third-largest city. The killing of Bussanich, two taxi drivers and a bus driver in less than a week in March, federal prosecutors say, “shattered the peace of an entire society.”

Street emptied. Schools closed. Bus drivers picketed. People were too terrified to leave their homes.

“This violence is on another level,” 20-year-old Rodrigo Dominguez said from an intersection where a dangling banner demanded justice for another bus driver slain there weeks earlier. “You can’t go outside.”

Panic was still palpable in Rosario last week, as police swarmed the streets and normally bustling bars closed early for lack of customers. A diner managed by Messi’s family, a draw for fans, reported quiet nights and less profit. Women in one neighborhood said they carry 22‐caliber pistols. Analía Manso, 37, said she was too scared to send her children to school.

Pope Francis last month said he was praying for his countrymen in Rosario.

Assaults and public threats continue. This month, a sign appeared on a highway overpass warning Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich that gangs would extend their offensive to Buenos Aires if the government doesn’t back down.

Authorities have sought to reassure the public by sending hundreds of federal agents into Rosario. The AP spent a night with police last week as officers patrolled neighborhoods logging suspicious activity and setting up checkpoints.

Georgina Wilke, a 45-year-old Rosario officer in the explosives squad, said she welcomes federal intervention, including the military, to get crime under control. “We’ve been hit very hard,” Wilke said.

Omar Pereira, the provincial secretary of public security, promised the efforts represent a shift from failed tactics of the past.

“There were always pacts, implicit or explicit, between the state and criminals,” Pereira said, describing how authorities long looked the other way. “What’s the idea of this government? There is no pact.”

A child rides a bicycle past a mural of Gabriel Ignacio Romero, a resident who was murdered on the sidewalk outside his home the previous year, in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

But experts are skeptical a tough-on-crime approach will stop drug traffickers from buying control over Argentina’s police and prisons.

“Unless the government fixes its problems with corruption, the crackdown on prisons is unlikely to have any long-term effect,” said Christopher Newton, an investigator at Colombia-based research organization InSight Crime.

For years, Rosario’s 1.3 million residents have watched warily as presidents and their promises come and go while the violence endures.

“It’s like a cancer that grows and grows,” said Benítez from her home, its windows protected by wrought-iron bars.

“We, on the outside, live in prison,” she said. “Those inside have everything.”

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

British tourist injured in shark attack is ‘aware and can communicate’

Peter Smith is in intensive care after suffering damage to an arm, leg and hand and puncture wounds to abdomen

A British tourist who was seriously injured in a shark attack off a Caribbean island is “aware of what is happening and can communicate” in intensive care, his wife has said.

Peter Smith, 64, from Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, was savaged 10 metres (33ft) off the shore near the Starfish hotel in Courland Bay on the north coast of Tobago on Friday morning.

He suffered damage to his left arm and leg, puncture wounds to the abdomen and injuries to his right hand, the full extent of which are still being evaluated after the attack by a bull shark .

He was in a “stable” condition in Scarborough general hospital in Tobago on Sunday after undergoing surgery.

His wife, Joanna, said in a statement through the BBC: “As of 9am local time today, Peter is aware of what is happening and is able to communicate a little, although he is still under strong medication.”

She thanked “two friends” who remained in the water during the attack to “battle” the shark, estimated to be between 8ft (2 metres) and 10ft long and 2ft wide.

The couple had been holidaying on the island with friends and were due to fly home that day.

The Foreign Office said it was supporting the family.

Several beaches and coastal areas were closed and a TT$10,000 (£1,175) bounty previously offered to anyone who could capture the shark was later retracted .

Last year, there were 69 unprovoked shark attacks and 22 provoked bites worldwide, along with 14 fatalities, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File .

• Trinidad and Tobago
• Marine life

Most viewed

Breaking News

Gang member arrested in ‘ambush’ shooting of L.A. County deputy, sheriff says

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Tuesday that California Highway Patrol officers had arrested a gang member in San Onofre who shot a deputy in the back as he sat on his department motorcycle at a West Covina stoplight.

Deputy Samuel Aispuro, 43, was shot once about 2:45 p.m. on Monday in an “ambush” at the intersection of Barranca Street and East Garvey Avenue, authorities said. After the shooting, Aispuro was able to radio for help, triggering a massive manhunt. The deputy was hospitalized and stable and is now recovering at home, Luna said.

CHP officers apprehended Raymundo Duran, 47, Monday evening on suspicion of driving under the influence and possession of a loaded firearm at a San Onofre inspection point in a silver Toyota Camry. Investigators connected Duran to the West Covina shooting after initially booking him as a suspected drunk driver, Luna said.

“There was a lot of good detective work and eventually we connected all the dots,” Luna said. Sheriff’s homicide detectives then interviewed Duran at the San Diego County jail, he said.

“Based on statements, security camera video in West Covina, witness statements and the firearm recovered by CHP, detectives strongly believe Raymundo Duran is the suspect in the shooting of our deputy,” Luna said. Duran is being held in the San Diego County jail in lieu of $1-million bail.

Luna said the weapon recovered by the CHP is believed to be the one used in the shooting and is being tested for forensic evidence.

Luna said Duran is a documented gang member, associated with a gang he declined to name. “He has a very extensive criminal history. He has a very violent history,” the sheriff said. “He had no business being in the possession of a firearm with his criminal history.”

Luna said further details about Duran’s motivation and what unfolded won’t be made public until they are presented in court.

The sheriff thanked witnesses to the shooting who immediately aided the injured deputy. “Eventually their information became very important. In our eyes, you are heroes.”

Aispuro, a married father of two, is now doing well with his family at home, Luna said.

Luna reiterated that the deputy’s bulletproof vest “saved his life,” and that without it, the case probably would have been a murder investigation.

Aispuro, who has been with the department for 19½ years, put out an emergency broadcast that included a description of the Camry, Luna said. That led authorities to a house in La Puente, where several people were detained but not arrested, and ultimately released, Luna said.

Aispuro worked out of the Century station in Lynwood and was in West Covina for training, L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement.

“This could have been so much worse, and it is a reminder to all of us that our deputies put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities,” she said. “I stand ready to support the sheriff as he and his deputies work to bring the person responsible to justice.”

More to Read

Gang member charged with attempted murder after deputy shot in the back

April 24, 2024

L.A. County sheriff’s department searching for suspect who shot deputy in the back

April 22, 2024

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy dies six months after fire at shooting range

April 21, 2024

Start your day right

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Richard Winton is an investigative crime writer for the Los Angeles Times and part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for public service in 2011. Known as @lacrimes on Twitter, during almost 30 years at The Times he also has been part of the breaking news staff that won Pulitzers in 1998, 2004 and 2016.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Timeline: UCLA’s night of violence before police moved in

California college campuses become lightning rods for Pro-Palestinian protests

May 1, 2024

DEA’s big marijuana shift could be a lifeline for California’s troubled pot industry

More than 50 are injured when L.A. Metro train, bus collide outside Exposition Park

April 30, 2024