The Government extended to the provinces the system to detect and block IMEI, IMSI, and irregular phone lines, with the aim of preventing detainees from continuing to coordinate crimes from prison
The Government of Javier Milei has decided to put a definitive end to the impunity of criminal gangs that, until today, operated coordinating crimes from prison. With a strategic vision of national scope and an unbreakable determination, the national administration has formalized the expansion of the mobile device detection and blocking system to all provincial penitentiary establishments that choose to adhere.
Under the non-negotiable premise that "those who are imprisoned cannot continue committing crimes. Prisons are for serving sentences, not for directing criminal organizations" and that "prisons cannot be centers of operation for organized crime", the libertarian management delivers a definitive blow to prison mafias in the Republic of Argentina.
Official statement from the president
This colossal measure of the Milei Government was formalized on August 25, 2026 with the publication in the Official Bulletin of Resolution 806/2026 from the Ministry of National Security. This regulation establishes the creation of the Program for the Detection and Blocking of IMEI/IMSI in Penitentiary Establishments (also referred to as the Program for the Detection and Blocking of mobile phones in penitentiary establishments).
The revolutionary initiative invites the provinces and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires to voluntarily join through a rigorous specific adhesion agreement attached to the regulation, whose general implementation will be coordinated by the Undersecretariat of Federal Articulation.
In this way, the effective combat strategy that was previously limited exclusively to the Federal Penitentiary Service is expanded on a national scale.
Going into the technical specifics of the program, the advanced governmental tool operates by identifying three fundamental data points of each active device within detention areas or restricted access: the IMEI (unique device identifier), the IMSI (identifier associated with the SIM card), and the linked phone line.
This rigorous three-dimensional perimeter was specially designed so that criminals cannot evade controls: even if the inmate manages to physically change the SIM card of their device, the intervened mobile device is completely disabled from operating on any national network.
The Government will block the cell phones used by prisoners to coordinate crimes
To safeguard the system against any local or bureaucratic breach, the regulation stipulates that the Ministry of National Security acts as a centralized single window to channel requests to telecommunications companies. Under this solid operational scheme, it is rigorously clarified that the provinces alone cannot order the disabling of devices with the telecom companies.
The operational framework is supported by Resolution 734/2026 (also cited as Resolution 734/26) from the National Communications Entity (ENACOM), dated August 13, 2026, which approved and updated in detail the technical procedure manual and distributed the responsibilities of each institutional actor involved in the security crusade.
The daily protocol establishes that the adhering provincial administrations upload daily files in CSV format to a secure server of the Ministry of National Security. This sophisticated system encompasses a universe of 5 active operators in the country.
For each of these companies, the provinces must promptly send 2 daily files: one containing the detected IMSI identifiers and another with the IMEI records, generated under a standardized nomenclature that associates the company name and the corresponding date.
The Government will block the cell phones used by inmates to coordinate crimes
After the receipt and formalization of the blocking request through the national window, telecommunications operators are obliged to confirm the execution of the block within a maximum period of 48 hours. At the same time, the corresponding Provincial Penitentiary Service assumes the responsibility of conducting continuous remote monitoring of the detection equipment, immediately reporting any incidents.
Finally, the security reform is firmly based on legislative precedents, such as Law 24.660 on Criminal Execution, which in its Article 160 strictly prohibits the use of mobile phones in prisons.
The governmental program also provides for storage sectors for devices for authorized personnel —such as penitentiary agents, judges, lawyers, representatives of control agencies, and diplomatic or consular members— that are located outside the areas subject to detection.
The system is completed with the implementation of periodic audits aimed at overseeing strict compliance with the procedure, also ensuring that all information related to the blocking of IMEI/IMSI is safeguarded under the strictest and most rigorous standards of confidentiality
