The Government of Javier Milei announced the expulsion from the country of Santiago Arbeláez Zapata, a Colombian citizen accused of being part of a narcocriminal organization dedicated to the aerial transport of drugs using clandestine aircraft.
The measure was executed by the National Migration Directorate with the support of the Federal Penitentiary Service and the Airport Security Police, as part of the hardening policy against organized crime promoted by the Ministry of National Security.
According to the ministry led by Alejandra Monteoliva, the Colombian drug trafficker operated a clandestine airfield within a gated community located near Rosario, from where he allegedly coordinated maneuvers related to the illegal transport of narcotics using private aircraft.
The operation culminated with the transfer of Arbeláez Zapata on a flight to Bogotá. Additionally, the authorities imposed a permanent entry ban to Argentina, preventing him from re-entering the country for life.
Monteoliva herself shared a video of the procedure on her social media and accompanied the operation with a strong message: “Argentina is not a refuge for criminals. They do it, they pay for it,” emphasized the Security portfolio, aligned with the zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking and transnational mafias.
The expulsion of the Colombian occurs in a context of increased pressure from the national Government on criminal structures linked to drug trafficking, especially those composed of foreigners with criminal records or international connections.
Criminals Out
Dmitrii Novikov, leader of the disinformation network.
The expulsion of Santiago Arbeláez Zapata adds to other recent cases of foreigners removed from the country by the Government of Javier Milei as part of its immigration hardening policy and fight against criminal structures.
Weeks ago, Argentine authorities expelled Russian citizen Dmitrii Novikov, accused of being part of an international disinformation and espionage network linked to digital operations coordinated from Russia. According to the Ministry of Security, Novikov used false identities and social media campaigns to attempt to influence Argentine public opinion.
The operation was coordinated between the Federal Police, the SIDE, and the National Migration Directorate. After being arrested in Lanús, the Russian was sent on a flight to Istanbul and was removed from the country by administrative decision, amid an ongoing judicial investigation into alleged disinformation maneuvers directed against the liberal government.
