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CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's chief prosecutor says five more members of a national intelligence agency have been arrested on murder charges related to the shooting deaths of two people in anti-government street demonstrations.
In a statement Wednesday, the office says the five agents were present at protests Feb. 12 in Caracas where 24-year-old university student Bassil Da Costa and government supporter Juan Montoya died. They were among the first of at least 16 killed in the protests.
Chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega said Monday that three others from the same agency had been arrested on similar charges.
The protests began with students and were soon joined by tens of thousands in several cities, upset over economic problems and heavy-handed government response to the protests
Senior government officials initially blamed protesters for the deaths.
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