The Federal Oral Court (TOF) number 5 of San Martín has set April 25 as the start of the trial against Miguel Ángel "Mameluco" Villalba, accused of selling cocaine with carfentanil in February 2022, a fact that resulted in the death of 24 people in Tres de Febrero and Villa 18. Villalba led a criminal organization made up of his son, Iván Gabriel, and 18 other individuals, who will also face trial.
The investigation, in which the DEA also participated, revealed that carfentanil is one hundred times more potent than fentanyl, a substance currently wreaking havoc in the United States and Europe. The inquiry into "Mameluco"'s activities began in 2020 as a branch of another case; despite being in Rawson prison serving a 27-year sentence for drug trafficking and money laundering, his organization continued to operate.
Federal judge Alicia Vence and prosecutor Paul Starc criticized the Villalbas for continuing to sell cocaine with carfentanil despite the deaths caused by the drug's consumption. Furthermore, several members of Villalba's group, known as "drug testers," had to be hospitalized after ingesting these dangerous doses.
"Mameluco" will be tried for the sale of cocaine with carfentanil, despite his claim that he intended to withdraw the drug from the market after learning of the deaths of some customers. However, this statement has not yet been proven in the investigation.
