Latin American officials seize unsafe meat and food products regionwide

In Maracaibo, Venezuela, police and municipal security forces raided the "Don Choripollo" butcher shop, discovering kilograms of decomposing meat and chicken washed with chemicals and sold as processed sausages. The operation, led by director Marcos Amaya and chief inspector Jorge Soto, resulted in the detention of the owners and a handover to the public prosecutor.

In Quito, Ecuador, the Metropolitan Control Agency (AMC) and the National Agency for Sanitary Regulation (Arcsa) carried out coordinated inspections that seized more than 100 lb of meat deemed unfit for consumption, temporarily closed a chifa restaurant for pest infestation and serious sanitary breaches, and removed 1,899 cosmetic products lacking mandatory health notifications. Additional sanctions were issued to several unregistered vendors.

Colombian authorities interdicted a clandestine horse‑meat operation in Bucaramanga, detaining ten people, seizing 1.4 tonnes of illegally processed meat and confiscating weapons and cell phones. Separate joint actions in Norte de Santander seized 26 cattle that lacked proper health certification, preventing potential disease entry.

Other municipal consumer inspections in Argentina targeted non‑conforming retail outlets, enforcing consumer‑rights regulations.

These coordinated actions across the region highlight a heightened focus on food and product safety, leading to arrests, closures, and the removal of hazardous goods from the market.