Following a wide-ranging criminal investigation that began in 2023, the operation exposed a complex network involving 89 shell companies, over 160 individuals, and multiple money laundering schemes.
Federal Prosecutor in charge of the case, presented sufficient evidence to arrest Jorge Castillo—often referred to as “the king of La Salada”—as well as several key operators. Authorities conducted extensive raids in the “Megapolo La Salada” and “Urkupiña” fairs, seizing financial documents, digital records, electronic devices, and large sums of cash. The involvement of Customs, tax enforcement units, and specialized federal forces signals a coordinated strategy aimed at dismantling the infrastructure behind the illicit trade.
These events coincide with a recent report from the United States Government (“FOREIGN TRADE BARRIERS”), which points to the markets of La Salada and Barrio Once as being included in the list of Notorious Markets for Piracy and Counterfeiting. The report stresses that “enforcement of intellectual property rights in Argentina remains weak, and that the lack of an effective legal framework continues to undermine the efforts of rights holders and authorities to curb illegal markets—both physical and online”.