Ex-Federal Police Officer Accused of Leading Gang to Rob Two Banks

Carlos Daniel Maidana, a former member of the Argentine Federal Police (PFA) until his dismissal in 1995, now faces accusations of orchestrating a sophisticated bank robbery scheme. He is alleged to be the leader of a gang that planned to breach two banks by creating holes in their walls.

Maidana's criminal past is extensive. He was previously a fugitive for extorting individuals in a shantytown and later became an informant in a major case involving a financial operator linked to powerful drug cartels. This operator was assassinated in 2019 after providing details about money laundering and drug trafficking logistics.

The current investigation into Maidana's alleged leadership of the robbery gang commenced on May 19th following an anonymous email. The informant provided precise details about the criminal organization's plan to target the Banco Provincia in Baradero and the Banco Nación in Morón. The objective was to steal gold bars and bundles of dollars from the vaults and safety deposit boxes.

Detectives from the Buenos Aires Provincial Police identified Maidana, 59, as the "general orchestrator of the criminal structure." The plan involved using adjacent properties to gain access to the banks' vaults, with specific knowledge of the Banco Provincia's vulnerabilities in Baradero.