The former leader of the Ancestral Mapuche Resistance (RAM), Facundo Jones Hualas, was arrested by the Río Negro Police in El Bolsón. Chilean authorities requested his extradition, and in 2023 he was found to be a fugitive in Argentina. Ignacio Torres, governor of Chubut, linked RAM to wildfires in the region and criticized the enforcement actions of the guaranteeing justice system.
In 2024, Jones Hualas was released by the Supreme Court of Chile after being considered illegally detained. He had been convicted of arson and illegal possession of firearms. After his arrest in El Bolsón, the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, emphasized his presence in the area and connected him to the fires in Chubut. The arrest was carried out in coordination with local and judicial authorities.
During the operation in El Bolsón, Jones Hualas was captured while attempting to steal vehicles. The governor of Río Negro, Alberto Weretilneck, praised the police's work and highlighted the importance of his arrest. The efficient actions of the security forces and collaboration among various government agencies were emphasized in the process.
In 2023, the request for Jones Hualas's extradition to Chile to serve the remainder of his sentence in that country was approved. Despite the detained person's resistance, Argentina accepted the extradition process. The arrest of Jones Hualas in El Bolsón again brought attention to the actions of RAM and their alleged involvement in criminal and conflictive activities in the region.