Argentina: Survivors of adulterated cocaine tell their experience

The case of adulterated cocaine has generated commotion and managed to show the importance of reinforcement in the fight against addictions and drug trafficking in the country.

In Argentina, cases of extreme concern have been presented after obtaining as a result 23 people dead and 100 people hospitalized, in Buenos Aires.

The epidemiological alert is maintained by the Ministry of Health of the province of Buenos Aires. In cases of intoxicated patients, Naloxone has been applied, a drug that quickly reverses the effects of overdose.

One of the testimonies received determined that the drug was sold at Puerta 8. Therefore, operations were carried out at different points and managed to seize between 12,600 and 13,600 doses packaged and prepared for consumption.

The investigators of the case consider that the drug could be mixed with an opioid, since the intoxicated reacted effectively to the anti-opioid drug.

The Security Minister insists on the call to citizens that anyone who has acquired cocaine in the last 24 hours, get rid of it.

In the four hospitals where the victims arrived, relatives could be seen crying out of concern for the health of the victims. Different government advisers consider that the number of victims is much higher.

Statements from survivors

Alfonso was dead for several minutes

Alfonso, a 41-year-old man, who lives five blocks from Puerta 8, consumed the adulterated cocaine last Wednesday. In the recovery process, his family experienced a lot of uncertainty.

The man was lying on his bed, unconscious, so he was quickly transferred to the medical center, where his life was saved.

One of his sons assured the BBC that his father is already well and is at home. He commented that when they got him lying on the bed, they hit him, slapped him and he didn't react, he was dead.

On Wednesday morning, Alfonso's youngest son, Santiago, 4 years old, called his mother to tell her that his father had not gotten out of bed.

His mother told him to call his older brother to wake him up, but he couldn't do anything either. They could see how drool came out of his mouth.

The boy's grandfather said that Santiago's mother wakes up at 4:30 am to go to work, and the boy stays with his father, who is responsible for waking him up and preparing the breakfast. However, that day did not happen.

The man says that while the boy was crying, he said that he hit his father and did not wake up. Upon receiving the call from the children's mother, Alfonso, the grandfather, took his bicycle and approached the place. The parents arrived quickly, since they live nearby.

At the moment he saw his son in bed, he had no vital signs, so he thought he was already traveling to heaven.

The victim's sister also went to his home, and together with his mother they sat him down and managed to wake him up a little. So they decided to take him to the hospital.

With the help of a friend and his sister, they put him in the car and took him to the Bocalandro hospital. Upon admitting him, they performed a lavage and other treatments. Additionally, they placed serum on him and with all this process they saved his life.

The mother says that her son smoked from time to time, but cocaine use was not common. He also said that on Wednesday he arrived at 3:00 am from work and met with his friends at Puerta 8. At that time, they used cocaine. Some of his friends died from the poisoned drug.

After seven hours hospitalized, Alfonso was released. A few hours later, the death of two other friends of his son was known. He assured that one of them smoked and then decompensated and the other decompensated when he arrived at the hospital.

Juan survived by not consuming cocaine directly

Another of the infected survivors is Juan. The patient, upon leaving the Zonal General Acute Hospital, said that he consumed cocaine on Tuesday night in a bar, while drinking beers with friends. After doing so, he vomited blood, his head and stomach began to ache.

He assured that he had not inhaled cocaine, but that he mixed it with marijuana to smoke it. It is presumed that, for this reason, his case was not fatal.

Upon entering the hospital, they performed different laboratory tests and received serum, after which they discharged him.

Juan stated that he is aware that he no longer has to do it and admits that he felt very afraid.

In his testimony, he explained that he did not think that the symptoms were due to that and that the scare will help him recover, since he will not consume more, adding that he has many friends and acquaintances in the same situation.

He also regretted that several acquaintances died from adulterated cocaine.

Arrests made

Seven people are arrested for the case of adulterated cocaine in Argentina. The main suspect is at the disposal of justice. The alleged leader of the drug gang Joaquín "El Paisa" Aquino, is the one who was in charge of selling the drug in Tres de Febrero.

Paul Starc is the prosecutor in the case, at the Tres de Febrero Federal Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office. In this event, due to the organized sale of cocaine and its illicit association, investigations are carried out regarding the violation of the Drug Law, 23,737.

On the list of detainees are: Julio César Ferrari, Mónica del Carmen Altamirano, Ayala Icasati Manuel Alberto, Marcelo David Canuhe, Pereyra Karina Celeste and Alberto Ramón Medina.

Joaquin "El Paisa"

Joaquín is a Paraguayan national. The arrest was carried out by the police on Thursday, after a search operation in the western area of the Buenos Aires suburbs and the northern area.

In an official statement it was reported that the National Directorate of Migration (DNM), generated the expulsion from the country with a permanent prohibition of re-entry into the country to Joaquín "El Paisa" who is linked to the poisoned cocaine.

According to Migration documents, the detainee had already been denied residency, for which he was expelled from the country, with a ban on entry for eight years. However, he did not comply with this and had been a fugitive from justice since 2018.

Florencia Carignano, the head of the DNM, indicated that the decision was made by the immigration agency because Aquino had convictions for illegally possessing weapons of war and trafficked drugs for marketing purposes.

In the process of arresting "El Paisa", the police officers in charge of the search seized elements for 5,000 doses of cocaine and a Glock pistol, including its serial number.