The criminals were surprised by the Gendarmerie while extracting gold nuggets without authorization.
According to official information, the miners were surprised by the presence of uniformed personnel. In that context, and during the procedure, Chileans tried to use firearms against force personnel
Four Chilean criminals were arrested by the Argentine National Gendarmerie after being discovered illegally exploiting a gold mine in the province of San Juan, Argentina.
The procedure was carried out by members of Squadron 25 “Jáchal”, who intercepted the suspects in the midst of clandestine mining activity.
The incident occurred at the El Zancarrón Mine, located 3,550 meters above sea level, in the middle of the Andes Mountains. As it transpired, the individuals were caught extracting gold nuggets without authorization in
Argentine territory.The intervention of the security forces came after receiving information about the presence of a mining group from Chile that would be operating in the area. Based on this information, the gendarmes traveled to the scene and confirmed the
illegal activity.
Upon arrival, they found that the four men had entered the country illegally, probably through a clandestine border crossing. During the inspection of the site, it was detected that the suspects had a van carrying mining tools, 14 bags with extracted rocks, a .22 caliber carbine
However, they were unable to achieve this, since they were quickly reduced by Gendarmerie personnel, who managed to control the situation without any injuries being reported.
After the arrest, all the items found at the scene were kidnapped. Among them, the tools used for the extraction, mainly picks and shovels, the firearm and the illegally obtained minerals, were seized
.The case was left in the hands of the San Juan Federal Attorney's Office, which immediately intervened and ordered the arrest of the four people involved. The defendants face charges of attempting to smuggle the export of gold, illegal entry into the country and illegal possession of weapons
.For its part, all the elements kidnapped during the operation were left at the disposal of the Justice, which will continue with the investigation to determine the extent of the illegal activity and possible additional responsibilities.
