In a nighttime operation, Argentine Naval Prefecture officers intercepted a boat smuggling marijuana from Paraguay across the Paraná River in Montecarlo, Misiones. They seized 450.6 kilograms of the drug, valued at over 1.644 billion pesos. The shipment was abandoned in coastal vegetation after the smugglers fled.
In a significant blow to drug trafficking networks along Argentina's northeastern border, Argentine Naval Prefecture officers conducted a successful operation in the Misiones locality of Montecarlo. Using nighttime thermal imaging visors, patrolling personnel detected a suspicious maneuver on the water. They observed a rowboat, loaded with large bundles, stealthily crossing from the Paraguayan shore to the Argentine side. The vessel made landfall at kilometer 1,790 of the Paraná River, in an area known as the natural port of Kimich, immediately triggering the response protocol.
Suspecting smuggling, the Maritime Authority quickly deployed river and land units to seal off the landing site. Upon arrival, agents conducted a thorough sweep of the dense riverside vegetation and found 25 bundles abandoned by the fleeing smugglers. Inspection revealed 534 'bricks' or rectangular pressed substance loaves hidden inside the bags. Field tests confirmed marijuana, totaling 450.6 kilograms.
Official estimates place the market value of this shipment at $1,644,690,000, marking a major financial loss for criminal networks in the region. The case has been assigned to the Federal Prosecutor's Office in Eldorado, led by Dr. Liliam Edith Delgado. This procedure bolsters the intensive surveillance the Prefecture maintains at critical waterway points, particularly along the border with Paraguay, a hotspot for narcotics trafficking.
