“I reneged like crazy so I wouldn't break you in”: the listen that ratted out a policeman for protecting a drug gang

“I reneged like crazy so that you don't get raided by another police station,” you hear him say to a drug dealer who sells retail in Mar del Plata. With that, and some other audios and messages, was enough for the prosecutor. Facundo Catriel Castaño, assistant non-commissioned officer of the Buenos Aires Police, was arrested on Thursday: he is accused of collaborating with a local gang that sold drugs. Basically, according to the researchers, it provided them with protection in exchange for money.

Castaño is 27 years old, was a policeman since 2015 and until today he worked at the 4th Police Station in Mar del Plata. Although when he allegedly committed the crime of which he is accused, he worked at the 6th Police Station. After his arrest, which took place this morning at the Departmental Headquarters of Mar del Plata, he was disaffected from the Force.

The now former police officer of La Bonaerense is charged as a co-author of the crime of aggravated drug trade for the involvement of three or more persons and the involvement of a police officer, and for bribery. Prosecutor Leandro Favaro, head of the Marplatense Narcotics Investigation Prosecutor, is taking part in the case.

According to the investigation, Castaño was an accomplice between November 2020 and March 2021 in a criminal organization that sold cocaine and marijuana, which consisted of five women and three men, including Fabian Humberto Barraza, 52 years old.

Barraza is singled out as the leader of the band and who kept contact with Castaño. With him he negotiated coverage by the police to carry out - without hindrance - the sale of drugs. Until now, the sums of money that both agreed to are unknown. It is only known that the payments were periodic.

In this context, Castaño, using his role as a police officer, kept Barraza up to date on possible break-ins or the presence of agents from La Buenarense investigating the trade of narcotic drugs in the area where they operated, in the Libertad neighborhood.

This was evident in a listening that appears in the file and released by the newspaper Ahora Mar del Plata: “Yesterday I reneged like crazy so that you would not be raided by another police station. There's a noise about the dick you have in your house. I don't know how not to deny. Every other day there are problems there,” Castaño tells Barraza in a recording.

The narco responded with an audio in which he was concerned, and asked him a question: “I had gendarmes halfway through the block. What is going on with them there? For me to be a little grasp.”

In addition, it appears from the wiretapping that the now former policeman was also in charge of eliminating competitors from his accomplice in order to make the sale of drugs more fruitful.

In another conversation, Castaño required the leader more money, without specifying figures: “Che viejo, next month is going with a small increase. It would be 10 more... I'll let you know in time to take it into account.” “Give him friend. Let me know of some strange movement that way I work”, they replied.

For Prosecutor Favaro, “very illustrative of the protection provided by the police officer” are the messages exchanged in which one of the gang members “asks him for information about possible police procedures that could affect his illegal activity”.

The prosecutor has no doubts about the participation of Castaño, who was transferred to Penal Unit 44 in Batán. Tomorrow the former policeman is expected to be summoned for investigation in the courts of Mar del Plata.

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