A brazen attempt by gunmen to steal over $32 million in cash that had just arrived at an airport in Chile from Miami on Wednesday, March 7, ended in two fatalities after a gunfight broke out.
According to Chilean police, the two casualties included an airport security officer and one of the alleged robbers.
The attempted heist included around 10 gunmen who were heavily armed. They were able to get past all the security measures at the airport and reach the runway where a Latam Airways plane carrying $32.2 million in cash had just landed at the Arturo Benitez International Airport.
According to Deputy Interior Minister Manuel Monsalve, airport workers were transferring a huge sum of money to an armored truck.
Security officers guarded the money, but that did not stop the would-be robbers. They opened fire, and a gunfight broke out between them and the security officials. The gunfire killed a security officer working for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC). One of the assailants also died during the gunfight.
Seeing that there was no way they would get their hands on the millions, the assailants fled the airport. Police later found two burned cars near the airport.
Speaking to reporters, Monsalve praised DGAC officials, saying their quick action thwarted the robbers’ plans. He also noted that the thieves appeared heavily armed and well-organized.
Videos of the aftermath on social media show another plane parked next to the Latam plane, riddled with bullet holes. Another video also captured a moment during the shootout as gunshots can be heard in the background.
Raul Jorquera, the DGAC chief, said there was no risk to the passengers as the robbers were targeting the cash.
The robbery targeted the $32.2 million that was supposed to be distributed to several banks nationwide.
Jorquera said the attempted heist would force them to revise and improve security protocols and processes.
It was not the first-time robbers had targeted money at the airport. Robbers successfully made away with $15 million from a warehouse in the airport in 2020. Robbers also made away with $10 million in a similar heist in 2014.
