A dramatic episode shook the city of Tartagal, in the province of Salta, when a doctor of the National Gendarmerie and a cosmetologist were arrested this Sunday for transporting nearly 70 kilos of cocaine in their vehicle. What began as a report of a violent attempted robbery ended in a federal case for drug trafficking.
The protagonists, identified as Ivana Georgina Portal, 39, a civilian doctor of the National Gendarmerie, and Delia Yolanda Tame, 35, a cosmetologist and driver of the car, claimed that a group of criminals in a white truck without a rear license plate tried to rob them on National Route 34. According to their account, they resisted, began shooting at the vehicle, and managed to escape unharmed. Finally, they had to stop at the entrance to the town of El Potrero, where they waited for the arrival of officers.
However, the bullets destroyed the rear window and one of the tires. When the officers inspected the vehicle, they noticed a small detail: a shot that hit the rear lifted a hidden false bottom in the trunk and exposed the cargo. This finding completely changed the course of the investigation.
According to case sources, the opening allowed them to see several yellow bricks that, after the corresponding search, were identified as a shipment of approximately 70 kilos of cocaine allegedly being transported to the province of Buenos Aires. Both women were immediately arrested after the discovery. What seemed like an investigation into an attempted robbery turned into a federal case for drug trafficking.
As hours passed, details about the detainees came to light. Portal worked as a doctor within the National Gendarmerie and is the partner of the driver of the head of the Tartagal Squadron. Additionally, investigations determined that she was going through a complex financial situation. Tame, for her part, was the one driving the car specially adapted to hide the drugs.
The main hypothesis of the investigators is that the alleged robbery was actually a «mexicaneada,» a criminal modus operandi in which drug gangs steal drug shipments from each other. Detectives believe that the women, convinced they were being attacked, called the police for help without imagining that one of the shots had exposed the hiding place where they were carrying the cargo.
The case has caused shock in the province, not only because of the amount of drugs seized but also because of the involvement of a health professional linked to the security force. The federal justice system has already taken action, and precautionary measures for the detainees are expected to be defined in the coming hours.
Para mí esto huele a choreo de los de arriba, la yuta siempre con sus negociados. Mientras el pueblo labura, estos giles de gorra se afanan 70 kilos y los agarran por un tiro al pedo. Justicia burguesa que protege a los ricos y encanuta a los que afanan poco. ¡Aguante la lucha!
Para mí esto huele a los zurdos de siempre metidos en el narcotráfico. Una médica de Gendarmería y una cosmetóloga con 70 kilos de cocaína, ¡qué carajo! Tendrían que fusilarlas como en la dictadura, no jodan. Viva la libertad, pero sin estos delincuentes de mierda.