Key fugitive linked to Santa Fe drug gang arrested in Buenos Aires

One of Santa Fe's most wanted fugitives, Andrés Acosta, known by the nickname "Plin" and linked to the drug gang Los Menores, has been arrested in Buenos Aires. Acosta was apprehended as he was leaving a nightclub in the San Telmo neighborhood.

Acosta had been a fugitive since last year, following a seizure of four M4 rifles by the Airport Security Police (PSA) from a temporary apartment he had rented. His capture is considered potentially crucial in the ongoing search for Matías Gazani, the leader of Los Menores, whose whereabouts have been unknown for almost two years.

Sources suggest Gazani may be in Bolivia, possibly having arrived via a plane that delivered a cocaine shipment to Santa Fe. Acosta, meanwhile, was reportedly moving within the Gregorio Laferrere area in La Matanza, where a local criminal group provided him protection.

Acosta's name appears in the case file investigating the Los Menores gang. In 2025, a search of a house rented by Acosta uncovered high-caliber firearms, including the four M4 rifles. Investigators noted Acosta's close ties to Francisco "Fran" Riquelme, whose gang reportedly pays tribute to Los Menores. Acosta also gained influence within the Rosario Central football club's barra brava (fan group), often seen with Lautaro "Laucha" Ghiselli, a former leader of the group who was arrested as part of the organization.

Last October, Acosta was added to the Santa Fe government's list of most-wanted fugitives. Authorities had issued an arrest warrant in June after the raid on his residence, offering a reward of 25 million pesos for information leading to his capture. The sophisticated weaponry, including M4 rifles, seized from Acosta and other locations linked to Los Menores has raised alarms, indicating a significant escalation in the group's armament compared to traditional Rosario drug gangs.