Felipe Santiago Acosta Riveros, known as “Macho,” is a Paraguayan fugitive whose criminal history includes a murder conviction and years of investigations into organized crime in the country’s Canindeyú region.
Acosta Riveros was convicted for the 2005 murder of Hiroyuki Arai, a Japanese-born landowner in the Tavapy area of Alto Paraná. According to Paraguayan reports, Acosta worked on Arai’s property before the killing. He later admitted involvement and helped authorities locate the victim’s remains. A court sentenced him to 25 years in prison.
Two prison escapes
Acosta Riveros escaped custody twice while serving his sentence. His first escape occurred in 2011, when he was temporarily taken from prison for medical treatment and failed to return. Authorities recaptured him in 2015.
In March 2016, he was again permitted to leave prison for medical reasons. He subsequently escaped and has remained at large since then. Paraguayan authorities have continued to identify him as a fugitive.
After his second escape, Acosta Riveros became associated by law-enforcement authorities with criminal activity in Canindeyú, particularly around the municipalities of Corpus Christi, Curuguaty, Yby Pytã and Saltos del Guairá.
Investigations in Canindeyú
Paraguayan prosecutors have investigated an alleged organization attributed to Acosta Riveros. In 2024, prosecutors accused several alleged members of the group and requested that their cases proceed to an oral and public trial. The investigation described the structure as being involved in organized crime and other serious offenses.
The Paraguayan Public Prosecutor’s Office has also reported investigations into properties and infrastructure allegedly connected to Acosta Riveros' organization. In 2024, prosecutors participated in the destruction of an aviation facility in Canindeyú that investigators suspected had been used by the group.
Authorities have repeatedly described Acosta Riveros as one of Paraguay's most wanted fugitives. However, allegations concerning activities attributed to him after his 2016 escape should be distinguished from the murder conviction that has already been established by a court.
Continuing pursuit
The search for “Macho” continued into 2026. In May, Paraguayan authorities detained two people suspected of belonging to his organization, while Acosta Riveros himself remained at large.
In August 2026, police investigated whether Acosta Riveros had ordered a targeted attack in Tava’i. ABC Color reported that investigators suspected his involvement, but this remains an allegation rather than a conviction. Later that month, security forces also conducted operations against people suspected of belonging to his network, without confirming that Acosta Riveros himself had been captured.
As of the latest reports reviewed, Felipe Santiago Acosta Riveros remains a fugitive. His established criminal conviction is the 25-year sentence for the 2005 murder, while the broader allegations concerning his alleged leadership of a criminal organization remain matters for the Paraguayan justice system.
SOURCES:
ABC Color — “Los inicios de ‘Macho’ en el narcotráfico y los de su ‘heredero’”
La Tribuna — “¿Quién es Felipe Santiago Acosta Riveros, alias ‘Macho’?”
Diario HOY — “Peón, asesino, narco, traficante de armas: Macho”
El Observador — Fiscalía acusa a presuntos miembros de la banda de “Macho”
Última Hora — Detención de presuntos integrantes de la estructura de “Macho”
