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Caravan of Death

SOLVED1993Antofagasta, Chile (route spanned multiple garrisons from southern to northern Chile)3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

The Caravan of Death (Caravana de la Muerte) was a Chilean Army death squad that traveled by Puma helicopter from south to north Chile between September 30 and October 22, 1973, in the weeks following the Chilean coup. According to the Wikipedia article on the case, members of the squad ordered or personally carried out the execution of at least 75 people held in Army custody at various garrisons; the NGO Memoria y Justicia put the total at 97 killed, 26 in the south and 71 in the north. Victims were buried in unmarked graves, and some prisoners were tortured or mutilated before being killed, according to accounts attributed to General Joaquin Lagos, commander of the Army's 1st Division, who described bodies that had been torn apart, with eyes gouged out and jaws and legs broken before a final "coup de grace."

The squad was led by Army Brigadier General Sergio Arellano Stark, who had been appointed by Pinochet as "Official Delegate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army." Other members included Lieutenant Colonel Sergio Arredondo González, General Manuel Contreras (head of the DINA intelligence directorate), Major Pedro Espinoza Bravo, Captain Marcelo Moren Brito, and Lieutenant Armando Fernández Larios. On October 18, 1973, Arellano arrived in the Antofagasta district and executed 56 people without informing Lagos, who resigned his post the following day and did not return the bodies to victims' families, citing shame over their condition.

Legal proceedings against those involved extended over decades. In 1993, Contreras and Espinoza were convicted for their participation and began serving seven-year and six-year sentences respectively starting in 1995. Pinochet was indicted in Spain by magistrate Baltasar Garzón in 1998 following complaints from Victoria Saavedra and the Mujeres de Calama. In Chile, magistrate Juan Guzmán Tapia indicted Pinochet on December 1, 2000, as co-author of aggravated abduction and first-degree murder in the deaths of the 75 victims, though proceedings were repeatedly suspended over his health, and a 2002 Supreme Court ruling and later findings of dementia meant he was never tried in this case. Pinochet died on December 10, 2006, without having been judged in the Caravan of Death case or any other.

Prosecutions of other officers continued after Pinochet's death. In March 2006, judge Víctor Montiglio ordered the arrest of thirteen former army officers on murder charges, and in November 2006 ordered Pinochet's house arrest shortly before his death. In August 2007, a Catholic chaplain, Luis Jorquera, was charged with involvement in exhuming and disposing of victims' remains, becoming the first priest charged with crimes from the dictatorship period; he denied the accusations. Eleven others, including Army General Miguel Trincado and Major Armando Fernández Larios, were also charged by the Court of Appeals in Antofagasta. In a related 2003 US civil case, jurors found Fernández Larios liable for the death of Winston Cabello and ordered him to pay damages to Cabello's relatives.

Key facts

Victims
Winston Cabello
Date
1993
Location
Antofagasta, Chile (route spanned multiple garrisons from southern to northern Chile)
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1973-09-30

    Caravan of Death squad, led by Sergio Arellano Stark, begins helicopter tour of military garrisons from south Chile.

  2. 1973-10-18

    Arellano's squad executes 56 people in the Antofagasta district without informing General Joaquin Lagos.

  3. 1973-10-19

    General Joaquin Lagos resigns as governor of Antofagasta Province after learning of the executions.

  4. 1973-10-22

    Caravan of Death helicopter operation concludes.

  5. 1993

    Manuel Contreras and Pedro Espinoza Bravo are convicted for their participation in the Caravan of Death.

  6. 1995

    Contreras and Espinoza begin serving their sentences at a specially constructed prison outside Santiago.

  7. 1998

    Spanish magistrate Baltasar Garzón indicts Pinochet following complaints including the Caravan of Death case.

  8. 1999-06

    Magistrate Juan Guzmán Tapia orders the arrest of five retired military officers over the Caravan of Death.

  9. 2000-05-23

    Court of Appeal of Santiago lifts Pinochet's parliamentary immunity in the case.

  10. 2000-12-01

    Pinochet is indicted by Guzmán Tapia as co-author of aggravated abduction and first-degree murder against 75 people.

  11. 2000-12-11

    Proceedings against Pinochet are suspended by the Court of Appeal for medical reasons.

  12. 2001-01

    Physicians report Pinochet has 'light dementia.'

  13. 2001-07-09

    Judiciary procedures against Pinochet are again suspended for alleged health reasons.

  14. 2002-12

    Pinochet is indicted in the Caravan of Death case; Supreme Court later invokes 'moderate dementia' preventing trial.

  15. 2003

    A US civil jury finds Armando Fernández Larios liable for the death of Winston Cabello and orders damages paid to his relatives.

  16. 2006-03

    Judge Víctor Montiglio orders the arrest of thirteen former army officers on murder charges related to the killings.

  17. 2006-07

    Chile's Supreme Court upholds a January 2006 Court of Appeal judgment on the case.

  18. 2006-11-28

    Víctor Montiglio orders Pinochet's house arrest in the case.

  19. 2006-12-10

    Augusto Pinochet dies without having been judged in the Caravan of Death case or any other.

  20. 2007-08

    Catholic chaplain Luis Jorquera is charged with involvement in exhuming and disposing of victims' remains; ten to eleven others, including Army General Miguel Trincado and Major Armando Fernández Larios, are also charged.

  21. 2023-08

    Six former DINA members and two former army officers, including Pedro Espinoza Bravo, receive what is described as the 'final conviction' by Chile's Supreme Court in the related Carmelo Soria assassination case.

Best coverage

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People

  • Augusto Pinochet

    CHARGED

    Indicted in December 2000 as co-author of aggravated abduction and first-degree murder in the Caravan of Death case; died in 2006 before any verdict.

  • Joaquin Lagos

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Army general and commander of the Army 1st Division who resigned as governor of Antofagasta Province after learning of executions carried out by the Caravan of Death.

  • Armando Fernández Larios

    CHARGED

    Charged over involvement in the Caravan of Death; found liable in a 2003 US civil jury verdict for the death of Winston Cabello.

  • Manuel Contreras

    CONVICTED

    Convicted in 1993 for participation in the Caravan of Death; sentenced to seven years.

  • Pedro Espinoza Bravo

    CONVICTED

    Convicted in 1993 for participation in the Caravan of Death; sentenced to six years. Also convicted in 2023 in the related Carmelo Soria case.

  • Luis Jorquera

    CHARGED

    Catholic chaplain charged in August 2007 with involvement in exhuming and disposing of Caravan of Death victims' remains; denied the accusations.

  • Winston Cabello

    VICTIM

    Killed in connection with the Caravan of Death; a 2003 US civil jury found Armando Fernández Larios liable for his death.

  • Miguel Trincado

    CHARGED

    Army general charged by the Court of Appeals in Antofagasta over involvement in the Caravan of Death.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Antofagasta, Chile (route spanned multiple garrisons from southern to northern Chile)

-23.6509, -70.3975

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Following the 1973 Chilean coup, an Army death squad flew by helicopter across Chile and executed dozens of detainees held in military custody, in a campaign later prosecuted over decades against Augusto Pinochet and other military officials.
Where did the crime happen?
Antofagasta, Chile (route spanned multiple garrisons from southern to northern Chile).
Who was convicted?
Manuel Contreras (Convicted in 1993 for participation in the Caravan of Death; sentenced to seven years.) and Pedro Espinoza Bravo (Convicted in 1993 for participation in the Caravan of Death; sentenced to six years. Also convicted in 2023 in the related Carmelo Soria case.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Chile

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICCaravan of DeathWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSFormer Chilean army chief charged over 1973 killing of activistsThe Guardian · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026