[REVISION HISTORY]

Argentina fentanyl and synthetic drug investigations

Updated 15 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-02 21:46 UTC → 2026-09-12 20:12 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In late July 2026, Argentine authorities seized a Buenos Aires pet shop storing an unprecedented blend of nine synthetic psychoactive substances, including amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, and 25-E-NBOH. This triggered alerts to national early-warning systems and the UNODC. The investigation has expanded into a major health crisis involving contaminated fentanyl batches produced by HLB Pharma Group and Laboratorios Ramallo. These batches, contaminated with Klebsiella pneumoniae and Ralstonia pickettii, have been linked to rising casualty figures, with reports citing at least 90 to 114 deaths and over 50 serious injuries. Prosecutors have described the event as the “máxima tragedia sanitaria registrada en el país” (maximum sanitary tragedy recorded in the country). Technical reconstructions suggest the contamination occurred at Laboratorios Ramallo when a three-millimeter hose disconnection allowed pathogens to enter the sterile circuit. Investigators allege operators reconnected the hose and sold three additional batches despite safety protocols. Furthermore, HLB Pharma is accused of attempting to mask the issue by subjecting contaminated ampoules to a heat re-sterilization process at 107 degrees Celsius. By ~~early September~~ mid-September 2026, judicial proceedings intensified. Federal Judge Ernesto Kreplak processed former ANMAT head Nélida Agustina Bisio and former INAME director Gabriela Mantecón Fumadó for the crime of “adulteration of medicinal substances.” The judge ruled they were necessary participants due to their failure to implement preventive measures despite known irregularities, including manufacturing deficiencies identified as early as December 2024. Both officials were prohibited from leaving A government audit incorporated into the ~~country~~ investigation revealed “relevant weaknesses in its design and ~~faced asset embargoes to cover potential indemnities.~~ implementation” within the regulatory framework. The ~~number~~ audit found that INAME received over one hundred notifications of ~~defendants under investigation has risen to 14 as~~ quality deviations from the ~~judicial process moves toward~~ implicated labs since 2018, yet conducted only a handful of inspections. Additionally, 21.7% of authorized pharmaceutical establishments had not been inspected for more than five years, and ANMAT performed no inspections related to market withdrawals during the ~~trial stage.~~ first half of 2025.

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