Argentina arrests linked to 'viuda negra' robberies in Buenos Aires and Vicente López

Police in the north of Buenos Aires Province say four men were drugged, beaten and robbed after being lured by two women identified as “viudas negras”. The victims, aged 23 to 49, were tied up, stripped of valuables—including three 50‑inch TVs, smartphones, an iPad and a gray VW Amarok—and the stolen vehicle was later abandoned on Route 9.

In Vicente López, a 73‑year‑old man was found dead on 12 June, bound and without vital signs after an attack by a “viuda negra”. Surveillance footage enabled investigators to arrest 22‑year‑old Brenda Magalí Noguera, described as the woman who lured the victim, and 34‑year‑old Maximiliano Ezequiel Vargas, who entered the home and participated in the homicide. A third suspect remains at large.

Both cases highlight a recent spate of “viuda negra” crimes in Argentina, where perpetrators use dating‑app contacts to gain entry to victims’ homes before committing robbery and, in some instances, murder. Authorities continue to seek additional suspects and to investigate the broader network behind these attacks.