The brutal torture and murder of three young women, including a teenager, has plunged Argentina into a state of shock. What amplified the horror was the chilling revelation by authorities that the suspected drug traffickers responsible for this heinous act live-streamed their crime across social media platforms.
Last Friday, the three victims—identified as Brenda del Castillo, 20, Morena Verdi, 20, and Lara Gutiérrez, 15—were reportedly lured to a home in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. Regional authorities confirmed that their subsequent torture and murder were broadcast on a private Instagram feed, watched by approximately 45 individuals.
Police investigators suspect an international drug syndicate orchestrated the gruesome crime. Authorities believe the murders served as a brutal ‘message’ in response to the alleged theft of a small drug package, purportedly by one of the victims.
During a Wednesday news conference, Javier Alonso, the Minister of Security for the Province of Buenos Aires, stated, ‘Everything points to a drug-related revenge. We can call it a settling of scores.’
These killings have deeply shaken Argentina, a nation where extreme drug-related violence is typically less prevalent than in neighboring Latin American countries like Mexico. This incident also underscores a troubling trend: criminal organizations increasingly leverage social media to broadcast their brutality, aiming to terrorize rivals, silence journalists, and instill fear in the general public.
The tragic timeline began around 9:30 p.m. on September 19, when the three young women were last spotted entering a white van in a Buenos Aires suburban neighborhood. Police reports indicate they were then deceived into traveling approximately 18 miles to a house with false promises of payment for sex work.
Mr. Alonso emphasized that the women were ‘tricked into participating in this event,’ highlighting that the entire scheme was a meticulously planned trap devised by a sophisticated international criminal network.
Later that same night, the women endured torture before being murdered. Their horrifying ordeal was streamed live to a social media audience of several dozen, Mr. Alonso confirmed, though specific details of the crime were not publicly disclosed.
Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has not yet issued a public response to inquiries regarding the case.
In the past week, investigators successfully located the victims’ bodies, which had been buried in plastic bags within a garden. While four individuals have been apprehended, authorities suspect a larger network of accomplices remains at large.
Authorities warn that criminal organizations are expanding their operations in Argentina, a country increasingly recognized as a vital transit point for drug smugglers moving narcotics from Bolivia and Peru en route to Europe. This burgeoning drug trade has intensified rivalries and violence among gangs fiercely competing for control over territory and illicit profits.
President Javier Milei, known for his self-styled image as a law-and-order libertarian, has adopted a firm stance against cartel violence, vowing to prosecute gang members as terrorists.