Buenos Aires, December 27 (NA) -- The escape of brothers Cristian and Martín Lanattos, who were sentenced to life in prison for the triple murder of pharmaceutical entrepreneurs from General Rodríguez, as well as a new charge against Martín for the homicide of an inmate, committed within the Ezeiza Federal Penitentiary Complex. According to the Argentine News Agency, the Lanattas, along with Víctor Schillaci, escaped from the maximum-security Buenos Aires prison on December 27, 2015, when they were sentenced for the murders of Sebastián Forza, Damián Ferrón, and Leopoldo Bina, an act that led to one of the most extensive police searches in recent history. The murders committed in August 2008 were linked to disputes over the illegal trafficking of ephedrine, which generated a strong political and judicial impact and marked a turning point in investigations into drug trafficking and organized crime. The three executives linked to the trade in medicines and chemical precursors were found inside a vehicle in a wasteland, with signs of execution, after being kidnapped and transferred as part of a settling of accounts. During the escape, the criminals moved through different localities in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area and Santa Fe, committed vehicle thefts, and shot two policemen in Ranchos—a city in the General Paz party—until they were recaptured in Cayastá after more than ten days of joint operations between provincial and federal forces. Currently, Martín Lanattos and Schillaci are being investigated as alleged participants in the murder of a detainee within the Ezeiza prison, in which both refused to testify.
