MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina's Security Minister warns against reporting on child's disappearance

Confidentiality is paramount from now on, Bullrich warned

Argentina's Security Minister Patricia Bullrich announced Tuesday that “strong sanctions” would be applied to anyone releasing any information regarding the disappearance of 5-year-old Loan Danilo Peña, a child in the province of Corrientes who went missing when allegedly searching for oranges in a local field and is now believed to have been abducted for human trafficking. The case splashed the Libertarian administration of President Javier Milei after a person of that political allegiance was arrested.

Bullrich insisted that the dossier was about to be handed over to federal authorities given the nature of the crimes under investigation and that henceforth it would all “be confidential” with “very strong sanctions to those who spread information that may endanger Loan's life.”

“Since the crime is framed as a case of trafficking, it becomes the responsibility of the federal forces and they will work on everything that will help in the construction of the evidence,” Patricia Bullrich told reporters. “We will have the strategy of protecting the confidentiality of the investigation because, at this stage, any information made public could jeopardize the situation,” she added. Bullrich also explained that a so-called Sofia Alert had been activated, which includes a reward for whoever provides relevant information.

“This new federal jurisdiction allows us to intervene directly in the search for the little boy. Our priority is to find Loan, as soon as possible, and to arrest all those responsible,” Bulllrich also stressed.

Milei echoed Bullrich's message by posting it on his X.

“We are angry with the lack of collaboration of the Corrientes justice system. The child disappeared twelve days ago and only two or three days ago we were able to access the file. A disaster!” the Minister went on.

“The hypothesis of trafficking is the strongest,” Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona admitted while Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos said the case started as a simple disappearance and has evolved into a complex network involving several members of the child's family.

Loan disappeared after a family lunch at his paternal grandmother’s house in the town of 9 de Julio, Corrientes province, on June 13. He was last seen picking oranges with his cousins, uncle, and a couple of his uncle’s friends near an orange tree about 600 meters from the house.

For over a week, the police searched the area where he was last seen, but the case took a sinister turn when trained dogs detected traces of his scent in two cars belonging to another couple who had been part of the lunch gathering. This couple includes a Retired Navy Captain Carlos Pérez and Libertarian City Council clerk María Victoria Caillava, who is a friend of Loan’s grandmother.

Pérez allegedly orchestrated the capture and abduction of Loan, intending to deliver him to a human trafficking network. His wife’s connections were reportedly used to carry out this criminal plan. Loan’s uncle is also suspected of having purportedly brought the child to the orange plantation.

Video footage has emerged showing the actions of these suspects already under arrest on the night following Loan’s disappearance which would corroborate the leads being followed.