Former Chilean prosecutor detained in Chinese citizen kidnapping scheme

Chilean police detained former prosecutor Vinko Fodich Andrade, 52, on September 9 outside his private law office in Providencia, Santiago. The Investigations Police (PDI) intercepted him as he arrived in a BMW and seized pen drives and two Itaú bank deposit slips from his backpack.

Prosecutors allege Fodich played a key role in a kidnapping and money-laundering ring targeting Chinese citizens. In early August, a fake police station was set up on José Miguel Carrera street where victims were told they were under investigation by the PDI and FBI, then pressured for large cash payments.

“I'll kill you, leaving here I'll kill you, I'll testify against you and your brother-in-law”

On August 6, Chinese national Mingkai Fu entered the fake station where Angelo Israel Stevens Aguilera, 44, posed as a handcuffed detainee. Stevens threatened Fu, saying he would kill him and testify against him and his brother-in-law Yongjie Chen, a Chen Clan member and Fodich client. Fodich arrived with Fu's sister Mingxia and allegedly used his phone to translate Stevens's threats into Chinese.

Fodich then recommended the Fu brothers pay the demanded amount. They paid 30 million Chilean pesos to leave. The scheme aimed to extract 300 million pesos. Prosecutors detected money transfers between Fodich and Stevens, who has fraud convictions since 2013 and a 2024 weapons conviction.

Both men were formalized for criminal association, kidnapping for extortion, and extortion. The Supraterritorial Prosecutor's Office leads the investigation. Fodich told Prosecutor Pablo Sabaj he was invited to participate but did not pressure for payments and claimed memory gaps. He described his relationship with Stevens as strictly attorney-client.