Police Officers Arrested for Leaking Information to Drug Cartels in Argentina

Authorities in Santa Fe, Argentina, have arrested a police officer and a corporal, both from the Provincial Police Investigations (PDI), on charges of leaking confidential information to drug traffickers. The two officers have been placed in preventive detention without a set term.

The alleged leaks were related to a micro-trafficking case in Avellaneda, a city in the General Obligado department. Investigators used audio recordings as evidence, including one where an officer warns a contact, "Don't go home because there will be raids." This indicates the officers alerted individuals about impending police actions at their residences.

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Don't go home because there will be raids.

Sources close to the investigation revealed that the officers allegedly received payments for this information. Prosecutor Franco Carbone stated that verified testimonies indicated the officers "filtered raids and charged half a million pesos for each 'warning to their contacts.'" The investigation involved 18 operations.

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These individuals were dedicated to filtering raids and charging half a million pesos for each 'warning to their contacts.'

The case has sent shockwaves through the security forces, particularly as the alleged leaks occurred on May 29, the same day a tragic car accident on National Route 98 claimed the lives of Milena Beatriz Martinuzzi, 44, head of the Micro-Trafficking unit, and Pablo Adrián Mansilla, 49, the operational chief. They were traveling to Avellaneda to participate in the planned raids.

The accused officers have been identified as Officer Ariel Sena and Corporal Estefanía Oviedo. According to the prosecution, Sena informed Oviedo of the exact date of the operations while she was on leave, having recently become a mother. Oviedo allegedly used WhatsApp to alert a suspect residing in one of the investigated properties, allowing him and others connected to the case to take precautions. Prosecutors stated the defendants "took advantage of their status as public officials with access to confidential information" to hinder the work of the Public Prosecutor's Office and security forces. Evidence gathered suggests the officers attempted to erase their digital tracks, deleted chats, and discarded mobile devices after the leak was discovered. They also allegedly tried to misdirect the investigation by suggesting other force members were responsible.

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They took advantage of their status as public officials with access to confidential information.