José Dorángel Vargas Gomez, also known as Dorángel Vargas or the infamous “People Eater,” is a well-known criminal figure in Venezuela. His background, starting from a troubled childhood in rural Mérida to gruesome murders on the streets, culminated in a shocking prison riot where inmates lost their lives and were reportedly used as food by others.
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 spirits from a young age, and he had limited formal education, only completing school up to sixth grade.
As a young adult, Vargas distanced himself from his family and led a transient lifestyle, engaging in petty crimes like stealing livestock and chickens. In 1995, he committed a significant crime by killing and cannibalizing another transient, Baltazar Cruz Moreno.
Following this incident, Vargas was confined to the Peribeca Psychiatric Rehabilitation Institute for two years due to a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. Despite concerns about his violent tendencies, he was eventually released.
In the late 1990s, Vargas resurfaced in San Cristóbal, Táchira, where he embarked on a killing spree between November 1998 and January 1999, targeting healthy men using various weapons to bludgeon them to death. His gruesome acts involved dismembering the victims, consuming their flesh, and storing body parts in containers or discarding them in the river.
The extent of his crimes came to light in February 1999 when authorities found human remains, severed heads, and body parts in Vargas’s dwelling. He confessed to murdering and consuming at least ten men during that period, earning him the moniker “The Hannibal Lecter of the Andes” in the media.
Despite being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and psychopathic tendencies, making him legally unaccountable under Venezuelan law, Vargas was detained in a secure prison in Táchira to prevent further violence due to the lack of appropriate psychiatric facilities.
In 2016, a riot at the Táchira Detention Center resulted in the brutal murders of two inmates, Juan Carlos Herrera Jr. and Anthony Correa, with reports of cannibalism within the prison. Vargas, already notorious for his cannibalistic acts, was allegedly involved in dismembering the victims as part of gang activity.
Today, Vargas remains isolated in Táchira, under close observation due to his unpredictable and violent nature. Despite his incarceration, he openly talks about his crimes, expressing no remorse for his actions and continuing to exhibit violent tendencies.