Córdoba: two hitmen were transferred to maximum-security prisons in Buenos Aires

This Friday, two inmates from Córdoba with extensive criminal drug records were transferred from Cruz del Eje prison, a town west of Córdoba, to maximum security prisons in Buenos Aires.

Carlos "El lechón" Minuet and Pablo Pino were taken to Buenos Aires in an operation that began at 3 a.m.

Agreement between the National and Córdoba Security Ministries

The transfer takes place one day after the signing of a framework agreement between the National Security Minister, Patricia Bullrich, and the Córdoba Minister of Justice and Labor, Julián López, which allows the transfer of detainees in Córdoba according to their criminal profile. Those considered highly or very highly dangerous, under this agreement, can be moved to the best-equipped national prisons for their accommodation: Marcos Paz and Ezeiza.

Minuet and Pino are under investigation as alleged leaders of gangs that continue to operate and are directed by them from prison, linked to violent crimes in the drug world, such as extortion, threats, and even alleged contract killings.

In an ongoing investigation,  the names of Minuet and Pino appear associated with an alleged contract or revenge killing: that of Gastón Vargas, who in February of this year was found with more than a dozen gunshot wounds on his body on the north collector road of Circunvalación Avenue and Sáenz Valiente.

Dangerous criminals

In this case,  a house was raided and several members of a gang that had an arsenal in Unquillo were arrested on July 9. There were five adult detainees and a 17-year-old, the former linked to the homicide, which is being investigated as a drug-related contract killing, while the youngest was charged with concealment.

What stood out in that operation was the seized arsenal: 16 handguns (pistols and revolvers), eight long guns (shotguns, rifles, and carbines), more than 500 rounds of various calibers, 25 magazines, and a telescopic sight. In addition, two ballistic vests, three cars, auto parts, more than 25 cell phones, and money were seized.

There were assault rifles (FAL), precision rifles, a machine gun, 9 mm pistols, and revolvers.

Among the documents found in that house and with the analysis of information on the accused's cell phones, references were found to the way detainee transfers are carried out in Cruz del Eje. Investigators suspected that this gang had a plan to "rescue" Minuet during a transfer from the prison in the northern part of the province to Córdoba, using the pretext of a judicial or medical procedure.

"El lechón" Minuet is serving a sentence until 2042, for the crimes of aggravated kidnapping, armed robbery, illicit association, and threats, among others. In 2014, he was convicted as the alleged leader of a gang that carried out drug-related kidnappings from the Las Violetas neighborhood. Wiretaps in that case revealed that it was a frequent activity, that he had access to weapons, and that he led a group that even included family members, such as his mother-in-law, who was also convicted.

Meanwhile, Pino is serving a sentence until 2042, for the crimes of aggravated kidnapping, armed robbery, illicit association, and threats, among others. His most recent arrest occurred in 2022 along with Maximiliano Ezequiel Gaitán and Jaquelina Vanesa Molina, accused of murdering a neighbor in the General Savio neighborhood in December 2021.

The victim in that case was Walter Cortez, 50 years old, who lost his life as a result of a gunshot wound. The victim's son was also injured at the scene. Although they were convicted of homicide during a robbery, because after the crime they stole from him, the attack may have been for another reason: drug-related revenge or a contract killing.

Details of the agreement between the Córdoba and National ministries

The Agreement on the Housing of Persons Deprived of Liberty of Different Jurisdictions signed by Córdoba and the Nation provides the framework for the transfer and housing in federal penitentiary facilities of persons deprived of liberty at the disposal of the ordinary justice of the Province, and the transfer and housing in the Provincial Penitentiary Service of persons deprived of liberty at the disposal of the Federal justice.

"This agreement represents another step in the custody and safeguarding of inmates, optimizing penitentiary resources, strengthening institutional security, and guaranteeing adequate conditions for those under judicial custody, whether federal or provincial," López and Bullrich stated in a joint statement.

The housing of inmates at the disposal of different jurisdictions will be carried out after an assessment of the profile and analysis of the background of each case, according to the availability of spaces, and in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 24,660 on the execution of custodial sentences, and the General Regulations for Detainees, they explained. The dominant criterion will be the risk profile.

Persons deprived of liberty who have committed particularly serious crimes linked to some form of organized crime that, by their nature, pose a serious threat to public, institutional, or community safety may be housed in Federal Penitentiary Service facilities.

In addition, those who are perpetrators or accused of crimes that show signs of severe cruelty or a tendency to reoffend, as well as those with a history of escapes or attempts, and those who have failed to comply with alternative measures to imprisonment or possess means, resources, and contacts that allow them to remain fugitives, may be housed in federal facilities.

It will be assessed whether they have financial resources, the ability to intimidate or pressure judicial operators or public officials, as well as influence or connections to persist in their criminal activities.

Conversely, persons deprived of liberty who, according to the comprehensive assessment and evaluation carried out using institutional classification and categorization tools, present low and very low levels of Community and Escape Risk may be housed in Córdoba Penitentiary Service facilities.