Argentina and Colombia implement new prison security measures

Governments in Argentina and Colombia are implementing new measures to combat criminal activity coordinated from prisons.

In Argentina, the National Security Ministry has launched a program to detect and block mobile devices in both federal and provincial prisons. By targeting IMEI, IMSI, and associated phone lines, the system aims to prevent inmates from directing illicit operations. Provinces and the City of Buenos Aires may voluntarily join the federal system through specific agreements. Meanwhile, in Tierra del Fuego, penitentiary authorities have reported a 20% annual increase in the inmate population, prompting calls for expanded infrastructure and a specialized provincial penal execution law.

In Colombia, authorities are working to sever criminal communications through two primary strategies. First, the Ministries of Justice and ICT are collaborating with mobile operators like Claro and WOM to develop technical and legal solutions for blocking unauthorized communications. Second, the government is preparing the 'Special Maritime High-Security Reclusion Strategy' (REMAS). This plan involves using Navy vessels as high-security floating prisons to isolate high-profile criminal leaders from their networks, a method previously utilized in 2007 to house major cartel heads.