La Derecha Diario The Queen of the South has fallen: a drug trafficker was convicted of cocaine trafficking using small planes
His two sons and other accomplices were also sentenced, in an operation that uncovered nearly 300 kilograms (661 pounds) of drugs
Marisol Saavedra Chungara, nicknamed "the Queen of the South," was sentenced to eight years in prison for leading a gang that trafficked cocaine by air. The sentence was handed down by the Federal Criminal Oral Court No. 3 of Rosario, presided over by Judge Mario Gambacorta. The case includes her children and two other collaborators who also received sentences.
The ruling ratifies the agreements reached between the defense teams and prosecutor Federico Reynares Solari in a summary trial. Saavedra Chungara, a Bolivian national, was found guilty of organizing the reception of nearly 300 kilograms (661 pounds) of cocaine. Part of the drugs was dropped from a small plane over a field in the Pergamino district, in Buenos Aires.
In addition to her organizational role, the woman coordinated the logistics of the transfers from the ground. Wiretaps were key to proving the operation. The sentences for the other individuals involved reached four years in prison for their secondary participation.
An operation that intercepted nearly 300 kilograms (661 pounds) of drugs
The case began on January 19, 2022, when the flight of a small plane was detected in the rural area of Rancagua. The aircraft flew over the field four times and dropped wrapped packages, which were collected by members of the gang. That same day, Saavedra Chungara, her children, and a Brazilian collaborator were arrested.
The Brazilian Elves García de Olivera was also arrested, as he was guarding the entrance to the field from a nearby gate. In the area, two Volkswagen Amarok pickup trucks were identified, one abandoned and the other found 300 meters (984 feet) away with drugs inside. The police seized backpacks, documents, and items related to the operation.
In total, 130 kilograms (287 pounds) of cocaine were seized that day, distributed in packages marked with the drawing of a feline, a symbol of narco origin. Three months later, after new reports, more bundles were found with 96 kilograms (212 pounds) and 64 kilograms (141 pounds). The total seizure amounted to 289 kilograms (637 pounds), all linked to the same organization.
The central role of the Bolivian leader in the aerial operation
Marisol Saavedra Chungara, 55 years old, was identified as the logistics chief of the group that coordinated the virtual landing of the drugs. According to the wiretaps, she was the one who decided where and when to carry out the drop, although she did not have final control over the shipment. "The Queen of the South" was how she was referred to in a key communication.
The reference to the nickname comes from the character created by writer Arturo Pérez Reverte, who became a narco icon in popular culture. However, in another wiretap from December 8, 2021, it became clear that Marisol did not make all the decisions. In that conversation, an accomplice canceled a shipment that had already been prepared, without giving her an explanation.
This indicates that, although she organized the reception, she answered to superiors based in Bolivia, who have not yet been identified by the courts. The sentence acknowledges her responsibility in logistics, but doesn't place her as the top boss. The crime was classified as aggravated trafficking due to the involvement of three or more people.
Children and accomplices also convicted for their participation
Juliana and Mauricio Justiniano Saavedra, the leader's children, received four-year sentences as secondary participants in the operation. The Brazilian García de Olivera and the Paraguayan Denicio Zacarías Reyes were also sentenced for collaborating with the gang. All admitted to the facts in the summary trial.
In a call on October 20, 2021, Mauricio informed his mother about an operation."It will be tomorrow," he said regarding a trafficking maneuver. He was also linked to one of the Amarok trucks (abandoned after the police operation) used to load the packages dropped from the air.
Juliana, meanwhile, accompanied her mother and brother in the early hours of January 19 on Route 32, where they were intercepted. She used her phone line to avoid wiretaps directed at her mother. García de Olivera was seen acting as a guard at the scene, and Reyes provided another truck used for transportation.
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