An airport shootout in the Chilean capital of Santiago left two individuals dead and an American passenger aircraft riddled with bullet holes Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
The shootout with security officials began when a group of 10 heavily armed robbers attempted to intercept $32.5 million being offloaded from a LATAM Airlines aircraft into an armored truck, AP reported, citing Chilean Interior Subsecretary Manuel Monsalve.
A robber and a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) employee died in the shootout, and the other robbers fled the scene, leaving two burnt-out vehicles in their wake, according to AP.
The target aircraft had arrived at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport after a flight from Miami, according to Reuters.
Despite initial reports that a nearby Delta Air Lines aircraft received damage from the gunfire, an airline spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital that the aircraft was unscathed as “confirmed through hours of meticulous inspection” after the shooting.
LATAM 787 Target Of $32.5 Million Heist At Santiago Airport, Leaving Two Dead https://t.co/6h4n4kmwvE pic.twitter.com/abAYYz2KPZ
— Ben Schlappig (@OneMileataTime) March 8, 2023
Monsalve said that prior to the “intense exchange of gunfire,” the robbers apparently managed to breach the premises of the airport after they overpowered a guard, who they left tied up, Reuters reported. (RELATED: Four Suspects In ‘Ocean’s Eleven’-Style Diamond Heist Acquitted)
DGAC head Raúl Jorquera maintained that there was no “risk to passengers” during the incident but admitted that there are “protocols that must be improved,” according to AP.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric, whose approval rating has been negatively affected by a rise of crime in the Andean nation, denounced the heist, saying that “when there’s insecurity, everything else wobbles,” the outlet reported.