Narco gang-linked killings in Argentina streamed live on TikTok, authorities say

A 15-year-old girl and two women were raped, tortured and murdered in a house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, in a case authorities describe as a narco act of revenge. The killings were streamed live on TikTok to about 45 viewers, Buenos Aires officials said.

Investigators believe the victims were lured to what they were told would be an event described locally as a sex party. They were allegedly offered about 300 dollars each to attend, then transported to a so-called horror house about 20 miles from their homes, where they were killed as part of a plan by a drug trafficking gang to intimidate others in the area. The broadcast was transmitted to a closed group on the platform, authorities said, and the bodies were discovered after the three women went missing on a Friday evening.

The victims were identified as Lara Gutierrez, 15, Brenda del Castillo, 20, and Morena Verdi, 21. Local reports indicate the women were lured into a vehicle by people posing as event organizers and driven to the residence where the killings took place, which lies in Florencia Varela, a Buenos Aires suburb located roughly 20 miles from the victims’ homes. One of the victims, Gutierrez, suffered severe injuries, including the amputation of all five fingers on her left hand, according to authorities. Del Castillo sustained a skull fracture and abdominal injuries, while Verdi was asphyxiated with a plastic bag, investigators said.

Authorities say the victims were told they were attending an event described locally as a sex party and were offered money to participate. The region’s security minister Javier Alonso said the killings were carried out by an international drug trafficking gang and described the incident as a “narco act of revenge.” He noted the victims were last seen getting into a vehicle as part of the trap set for them, and that the bodies were found early the following morning buried in a garden.

Four people have been arrested so far in connection with the case. The vehicle used to pick up the girls was located about 100 meters from the house and had been set alight. Authorities said the investigation is proceeding rapidly, with efforts to identify both the intellectual author and the material participants. A Buenos Aires prosecutor called the case one of the most sordid and horrifying in recent memory, underscoring the brutality of the crime and the urgency of bringing those responsible to justice.

Josefina del Castillo, Brenda’s aunt, appealed for information on her nieces’ whereabouts before their bodies were found, telling authorities and the public that the sisters were three young women with families who deserve answers. “They are three young girls, three families that are today suffering and desperate. Please contact the authorities if you have any information,” she said.

The investigation has revealed that the drug trafficking organization involved has its operational command in Buenos Aires and used the house in Florencia Varela to carry out the murders as a deterrent against theft from the gang. Police say the incident occurred on Friday night, with the victims killed sometime between 11 p.m. and midnight, and the bodies discovered in the early hours of the morning.

Officials noted that the killings were carried out in a manner intended to terrorize others involved in drug trafficking networks and those who might consider crossing the gang. The case has drawn attention to the growing violence surrounding Buenos Aires’s drug-trafficking corridors and the use of social media to broadcast criminal acts, raising questions about monitoring and prevention efforts in online spaces.

Authorities stressed that the investigation into both the planning and execution of the killings is very advanced, with multiple suspects in custody and more arrests anticipated as investigators map the chain of command. Prosecutors have asked anyone with information to come forward to assist in identifying all participants and to provide any additional details about the events leading up to the incident.