Paraguay Pharmacists Denounce Impunity in Black Market Tirzepatide Thefts

A wave of insecurity is gripping Alto Paraná, Paraguay, as pharmaceutical businesses face a relentless onslaught from criminals targeting Tirzepatide, a medication primarily for diabetes but increasingly sought after for weight loss. Pharmacists and industry representatives are sounding the alarm over the brazenness and impunity with which these operations are conducted.

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After the assault that occurred at 8:30 in the morning, at 10 in the morning we were informed that one of the lots stolen from Extreme SRL was being sold in the center of Ciudad del Este.

Armed assaults on pharmacies and delivery trucks have become alarmingly common, with perpetrators making off with entire shipments of the drug. The situation has escalated to the point of violence, with a security guard losing his life in one of these raids. Since November 2025, at least ten such incidents have been reported, many bearing the hallmarks of commando-style operations, suggesting a highly organized criminal network.

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You steal 4,000 boxes for US$ 170,000, US$ 200,000, they are not going to pass to Brazil in that quantity, that is consumed here. Evidently, there is an enormous, let's say, retail scheme, because what is sold here under the table goes to many places.

Gerardo Rivarola, spokesperson for the Association of Pharmacy Owners of Alto Paraná, highlighted the staggering financial losses, estimated at over G. 4 billion between December and March. He decried the lack of significant progress in investigations, despite the deadly consequences. The speed at which stolen medication reappears on the black market, sometimes within hours of a heist, fuels suspicions of complicity among some authorities, adding a layer of distrust to an already critical situation. The sheer volume of stolen Tirzepatide suggests a robust domestic resale network, rather than simple cross-border smuggling.

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The Attorney General of the State shone by his absence always.