HomeNewsBriefArrest of Publicist's Brother Gets Argentina Talking Organized Crime
BRIEF

Arrest of Publicist's Brother Gets Argentina Talking Organized Crime

ARGENTINA / 7 MAR 2014 BY MICHAEL LOHMULLER EN

The arrest of the brother of a prominent public figure on drug charges has sparked a media furor in Argentina, placing the issue of drug trafficking and organized crime at the top of the public agenda.

Police in Argentina have arrested seven people for attempting to traffic cocaine to Europe and for producing and distributing ecstasy in Buenos Aires, among them the brother of famous Argentine publicist Gabriel "Gaby" Alvarez, reported Diario La Prensa.

Ariel Alvarez, Gaby's brother, was allegedly responsible for marketing ecstasy at raves and to wealthy clients in the northern neighborhoods of Buenos Aires.

In addition to making and selling ecstasy, the group also intended to smuggle cocaine to Spain hidden in skis, reported Clarin.

During the operation, authorities confiscated 24 kilos of cocaine and over 1,000 ecstasy pills, with material to produce 30,000 more.

InSight Crime Analysis

The arrest of a family member of a prominent public figure in Argentina has turned the media spotlight onto a problem that is escalating quickly -- the ever growing presence of drug trafficking in Argentina and the evolution of both transnational and domestic organized crime within the country.

The ring in which Alvarez worked was a perfect example of this process in Argentina, involving both manufacturing and sale of synthetic drugs for the domestic market -- which has grown rapidly in recent years -- and the use of Argentina as a transit point for cocaine destined for Europe.  

The case also follows on the heels of a widely reported hitman style murder of a Colombian with alleged drug ties in broad daylight in Buenos Aires. The killing drew attention to the presence of transnational criminal groups -- particularly Colombians -- in Argentina and caused a wave of concern that the country could see Colombia style narco-violence.

SEE ALSO: Coverage of Argentina

These events and the press coverage they have garnered have stirred a response from high profile politicians. Ricardo Lorenzetti, president of the Supreme Court, called on the court to find solutions to the "grave problem" of drug trafficking, saying it is affecting the rule of law. Mauricio Macri, head of the Buenos Aires government, also expressed his "enormous concern" with the current situation of drug trafficking in Argentina, saying "the future of our society is in play."

With drug trafficking and organized crime now moving up the media and political agenda, leaders must now address the question of what action Argentina can take to stem the tide.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

COLOMBIA / 15 JUL 2021

A convicted cocaine trafficker is among the suspects that authorities in Haiti are pursuing in connection to the middle-of-the-night murder…

ELITES AND CRIME / 10 MAR 2022

The arrest and possible extradition of a former Honduras police chief suspected of drug trafficking could provide explosive evidence in…

CONTRABAND / 15 MAY 2023

The illegal sale of scrap metal has become another earner for government officials and military figures in Venezuela.

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

All Eyes on Ecuador

2 JUN 2023

Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up,…

WORK WITH US

Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.