New details released after arrest of man in connection with murder of Cuban rapper El Taiger

MIAMI – Authorities announced Wednesday that a man known to be a friend of Cuban rapper El Tiger has been named as the prime suspect in his murder, a major advance in the high-profile case.

The Miami Police Department confirmed that 49-year-old Damian Valdez-Galloso was detained in New York earlier this week after failing to register as a sex offender in Florida.

Police had been looking for Valdez-Galloso for several weeks to question him about the murder of El Tiger, whose real name is Jose Manuel Carbajal Zaldivar.

Authorities believe Valdez-Galloso may have important information that will help their case.

On October 3, 37-year-old Al Tiger was found shot dead in an SUV near Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales shared details of the arrest, crediting the combined efforts of local, state and federal agencies in bringing Valdez-Galloso into custody.

The investigation intensified when New York authorities arrested Valdez-Galloso, who police said was initially a person of interest in El Tiger’s murder. Investigators said they later obtained video evidence that allegedly shows the suspect shooting the rapper on Oct. 3.

Surveillance video of the incident showed El Tiger fatally shot, and his body was later found in the trunk of a white SUV parked outside Valdez-Galloso’s home in Hialeah, according to investigators.

Police also confirmed that the shooting did not take place inside the SUV, but at Valdez-Galloso’s residence.

Despite the arrest of Valdez-Galloso on unrelated charges, Miami investigators are now working closely with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office to determine additional charges related to the rapper’s death.

The motives of the crime remain unknown.