Loan Peña disappearance: arrests extended, trial begins in Corrientes, Argentina

The Federal Oral Court in Corrientes extended preventive detention for eight suspects linked to the 2024 abduction of 5‑year‑old Loan Danilo Peña. The extensions, formalized in Resolution No. 30, keep the accused in custody for six months to ensure their presence at the forthcoming oral trial. The detainees include Antonio Benítez, Daniel Ramírez, Mónica Millapi, Laudelina Peña, María Victoria Caillava, Carlos Pérez, Walter Maciel and Nicolás Soria, who face charges ranging from child abduction to illegal deprivation of liberty, fraud and obstruction of justice.

Weekly hearings have been scheduled for the criminal case that now involves 17 defendants. Prosecutors have asked to expand their team to seven members, citing the case’s complexity, while defense lawyers argue the request creates an unfair numerical imbalance. The trial will be held at the Gendarmería Nacional’s 48th squad headquarters and will address both the kidnapping and alleged attempts to derail the investigation.

On the two‑year anniversary of Loan’s disappearance, the Archdiocese of Corrientes issued a public appeal, urging the community to keep the search for truth alive and to continue supporting the family’s demand for justice.