Within the framework of the V Triangles-Southern Triangle Meeting, organized by the Department against Transnational Organized Crime (DDOT) of the OAS, the Minister of National Security, Patricia Bullrich, presented on Tuesday (01.07.2025) the Argentina's strategic vision in the fight against organized crime and the illicit economies that threaten democracy in Latin America.
Ms. Bullrich particularly highlighted the case of Rosario, a city that for years was under the control of criminal gangs operating around the port from which 80% of Argentina's harvest is exported.In just a year and a half, with a joint command of the five federal forces and the government of Santa Fe, we managed to regain territorial control, strengthen the federal justice system and isolate the main drug lords in high-risk prisons."I affirm.
The minister stressed that this integral approach –based on intelligence, research, and coordinated action– allowed the transformation of a city paralyzed by fear into a space that recovered its cultural, commercial, and touristic life. “P“We went from an illicit economy to a legitimate economy.”, Bullrich summarized.
He also mentioned the strategy on the northern border, in cooperation with Bolivia, to stop the entry of cocaine, and sustained work on the triple border with Brazil and Paraguay, where both organized crime and the financing of terrorism are combated.
In parallel, Argentina is moving forward in new legal tools –such as the anti-mafia law and the trial in absentia law– and the creation of the Federal Department of Investigation, “to carry out complex investigations with an economic, criminal, and international focus.”
🟦The role of AMERIPOL
La Regional cooperation was another central focus of the meeting. AMERIPOL, under the chairmanship of Major General Carlos Fernando Triana Beltrán (Colombia), highlighted its role in strengthening trust and coordination among the continent's police forces.
In dialogue with Customs NewsTriana Beltrán stated: “Thanks to the exchange of information and joint operations, we have achieved important seizures, including the timely detection of drug-contaminated containers in ports and land corridors.".
He also stressed, the importance of regional police training and the need for mutual trust between institutions "so that cooperation is effective and translates into concrete actions throughout Latin America".
🟦Call for joint work
Argentina, together with the Organization of American States, called for stronger collaboration among countries to combat transnational threats with new tools, secure information flows, and joint strategies.
"This meeting is a call for a common effort to guarantee security on our continent.", concluded Bullrich.
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