Who ordered the Bolivia triple killing? 'Pablo' accused in execution of three Balkan nationals

One year has passed since a brutal triple murder in Bolivia claimed the lives of three men from the Balkans: 43-year-old Dejancho Lazarevski from Strumica, 38-year-old Miljan Đekić from Niš and Croatian national Marko Skrebec, known as Koko. Their bodies were discovered inside a house in Santa Cruz, wrapped in plastic bags and sealed with tape.

The local investigation found that the killers had intended to remove the bodies to hide the crime, but neighbours reported loud music at the property. Police entered the house and were confronted with the gruesome scene.

Who ordered the execution?

The person accused of ordering the killings is Reni Pablo Delgadillo Lema, known simply as “Pablo.” He was arrested at the end of August last year in a high-profile operation by the Brazilian federal police and the army in the state of Mato Grosso. Authorities seized a private plane, firearms, ammunition, a large sum of dollars and packages of cocaine during the arrest.

Pablo, who is reportedly the stepson of the notorious drug boss Roberto Baeza, is said to have hired four Bolivian hitmen to send a bloody message to rivals and seize control of cocaine routes. Investigators point to a violent clash between the so‑called Balkan cartel and local narco‑groups over dominance of cocaine trafficking toward Europe as the motive for the massacre.

According to the inquiry, the three men were killed shortly after they arrived in Bolivia. The man from Niš had changed his surname to Marjanović in an effort to escape a multimillion‑euro debt in Serbia.

The case remains a stark example of how international criminal networks intersect and of the risks faced by those who travel into contested drug territories. Bolivian authorities continue efforts to identify and prosecute all participants in the operation.

Photo: press material from the event