Organization accused of attacking Chinese merchants dismantled; five arrested, at least one fugitive

Buenos Aires police have dismantled a criminal organization suspected of carrying out a series of attacks and threats against merchants of Chinese origin. The operation resulted in the arrest of five individuals following 13 raids conducted across various neighborhoods in the city and two towns in the province of Buenos Aires.

The investigation, initiated on July 21, 2025, after a Chinese merchant was shot in the leg while leaving his store in the Balvanera neighborhood, identified a Paraguayan man as the alleged shooter. Detectives also implicated a Paraguayan couple and a Venezuelan woman, who remains at large.

Further investigation suggested the attack was part of a larger criminal structure. Analysis of electronic devices seized in a related case, involving a tear gas grenade attack on a Chinese business on May 17, 2025, revealed messages, photos, and videos in Chinese detailing various criminal activities. These included records of shootings, arsons, threats, grenade attacks, and images of firearms and targeted businesses.

The confiscated materials also contained audiovisual evidence of attacks on businesses in different parts of Buenos Aires and towns like Zárate and Paso del Rey. Investigators observed meetings among individuals linked to the organization.

The primary hypothesis suggests the group was led by a Chinese national, still at large, who allegedly used a mutual association of merchants as a front for illicit activities. The investigation is also examining financial transactions with information provided by banking and financial entities.