Elías Piccirillo faces trial for alleged plot to frame businessman

Argentine federal prosecutor Franco Picardi has requested that Elías Piccirillo and several others face trial for orchestrating a scheme to frame businessman Francisco Hauque and his partner. The prosecution alleges that Piccirillo, motivated by a debt of approximately 6 billion pesos, financed and directed a plan to have Hauque arrested by planting drugs and a weapon in his vehicle.

The alleged operation took place in January 2025, when police intercepted Hauque’s Audi Q8 under the pretext of a gender-based violence incident. During the search, officers discovered a 9mm pistol and 1.258 kilograms of cocaine. The prosecution contends these items were not found by chance but were placed in the vehicle beforehand.

A forensic reconstruction supported by the National Gendarmerie concluded that it was physically possible to hide the contraband in the car's trunk or under the driver's seat. The prosecutor rejected defense arguments claiming the maneuver was impossible, asserting that the reconstruction provided relevant evidence of the setup. In addition to Piccirillo, several individuals, including police officers, have been named in the request for trial.