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Buenos Aires Prison Service Transfers Alleged ‘Banda del Millón’ Leaders to Phone-Free Unit in Melchor Romero

The move follows a prosecutor’s push to cut off prison-based coordination as judges weigh broader cellphone bans.

Overview

  • Authorities consolidated key suspects in Unit 61 at Melchor Romero, housing them together in a single pavilion without access to mobile phones or internet-enabled devices.
  • Detainees can communicate only via a designated landline that alerts recipients the call originates from a penitentiary facility.
  • The transfer answers Deputy Chief Prosecutor Patricio Ferrari’s February 12 request, which also sought signal blockers, daily cell searches, and a prohibition on third-party phone deliveries.
  • To date, San Isidro’s Guarantees Court No. 3 has authorized an absolute ban for four detainees, including a minor, while Oral Criminal Courts Nos. 3 and 4 continue to review similar filings.
  • Those relocated include alleged leaders Brandon Imanol Brites and brothers Elián Hugo and Hugo Isaías Castillo San Martín, with Sofía Gómez in the women’s annex, as investigators describe a roughly 40-person network that directed robberies by video call, often targeting retirees.