José Dorángel Vargas Gomez, also known as Dorángel Vargas or the “People Eater,” is a notorious figure in Venezuela’s criminal history.
His background traces back to a difficult upbringing in rural Mérida, leading to gruesome murders and a shocking prison riot years later. Born on May 14, 1957, in Caño Zancudo, Mérida, Vargas grew up in a family of impoverished farmers with ties to the Venezuelan Liberation Forces. Locals believed he was influenced by evil forces from a young age, receiving limited formal education until sixth grade.
As a young adult, Vargas distanced himself from his family, living as a transient and engaging in petty crimes like stealing livestock. His criminal activities escalated in 1995 when he killed another transient, Baltazar Cruz Moreno, and consumed his flesh.
After this incident, Vargas was confined to the Peribeca Psychiatric Rehabilitation Institute for two years due to paranoid schizophrenia. Despite concerns about his violent tendencies, he was eventually released. By the late 1990s, he resumed his criminal activities in San Cristóbal, committing a series of murders between November 1998 and January 1999 along the Torbes River and Parque 12 de Febrero.
Targeting healthy men, Vargas used various weapons to bludgeon his victims to death, avoiding specific individuals based on his criteria for flesh quality. He dismembered their bodies, consuming some parts and discarding others in the river or burying them. The extent of his crimes came to light in February 1999 when multiple bodies were discovered, revealing his gruesome acts.
Following his capture, Vargas gained national attention and was likened to “The Hannibal Lecter of the Andes” due to his cannibalistic acts. Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and psychopathic tendencies, he was deemed legally unaccountable. Placed in a secure prison in Táchira, Vargas was isolated to prevent further violence.
Despite confinement, Vargas’s violent nature persisted, culminating in a deadly riot at the Táchira Detention Center in 2016. During the chaos, two inmates were brutally murdered, with reports of cannibalism within the prison. Eyewitnesses and investigations implicated Vargas in the dismemberments, highlighting the disturbing events that transpired.
Today, Vargas remains in isolation in Táchira, closely monitored due to his erratic and aggressive behavior. Unapologetic about his crimes, he has openly discussed his gruesome acts, expressing no remorse for his actions and maintaining a defiant attitude.