The Minister of National Security, Patricia Bullrich, announced the arrest of drug lord Brian Walter Bilbao (47), who was, until his arrest, Argentina's fifth most wanted criminal.
The operation, carried out by the National Gendarmerie, ended with a chase in Buenos Aires province, where the detainee was transporting more than 400 kilograms (882 pounds) of cocaine in a pickup truck.
The arrest took place this Tuesday in the Buenos Aires district of Exaltación de la Cruz, when Bilbao was intercepted by Gendarmerie officers and presented false documentation. After his capture, federal forces conducted simultaneous raids in Buenos Aires and Santa Fe, resulting in the arrest of three more individuals, identified as Pablo José A., Carlos E. V., and Eduardo D. P.
During the procedures, cell phones, laptops, pistols, revolvers and shotguns, cartridges of various calibers, jewelry, handheld radios, cars and pickup trucks were seized, all items linked to the criminal organization led by the detainee.
Known by the nicknames "Negro," "Barba," or "Patoruzec," Bilbao had been under investigation for years for his role as the leader of a cocaine trafficking network with branches in several provinces. His capture represents a significant blow to drug trafficking.
