Triple Murder in Florencio Varela: Three Young Women Tortured and Killed in Suspected Drug Trafficking Revenge

Bodies Discovered After Disappearance

The bodies of three young women, identified as Brenda del Castillo, Morena Verdi, and Lara Gutiérrez, were discovered on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, buried in the garden of a house in Florencio Varela, a suburb of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The victims, aged 20, 20, and 15 respectively, had been reported missing since Friday, September 19, 2025, when they were last seen entering a vehicle in La Tablada, approximately 20 kilometers south of Buenos Aires. Police tracked their cell phone signals to the house where their remains were found. The vehicle they entered was later discovered burned out near the crime scene.

Brutal Nature of the Crime and Drug Trafficking Link

Authorities, including Buenos Aires Province Security Minister Javier Alonso, have indicated that the women were lured into a trap under the pretense of attending an event, which some reports suggest was a 'sex party' or 'narco party.' The murders are strongly linked to drug trafficking, believed to be an act of revenge following the alleged theft of cocaine. Minister Alonso stated, 'They were falling into a trap created by a transnational drug trafficking organization that had concocted a strategy to murder them.'

Forensic examinations revealed the extreme brutality of the killings, which are believed to have occurred in the early hours of Saturday, September 20, 2025. Details of the torture include:

• Lara Gutiérrez (15): Suffered the amputation of all five fingers on her left hand before her death, a stab wound to the neck near the carotid artery, and a cut near her left ear.
• Brenda del Castillo (20): Sustained a skull fracture, stab wounds to the neck, and her stomach was cut open post-mortem.
• Morena Verdi (20): Died from asphyxiation with a plastic bag, and had a cervical dislocation along with multiple facial blows and cranial trauma.

The victims were reportedly bound with tape around their feet, hands, neck, and face.

Livestreamed Torture and Ongoing Investigation

In a shocking development, Minister Alonso confirmed that the torture and murder of the young women were allegedly livestreamed on a social media platform (some sources specify Instagram, others TikTok) to a closed group of approximately 45 individuals. During the broadcast, the gang leader reportedly declared, 'This is what happens to anyone who steals drugs from me,' suggesting the act was a warning to others within the criminal organization.

The investigation has led to the detention of 12 suspects, an increase from the initial four arrests. However, the alleged intellectual author and leader of the drug gang, a 23-year-old Peruvian national known by the nicknames 'Little J' or 'Julito,' remains at large. An international arrest warrant has been issued for him. The gang is believed to operate as a transnational drug organization with a base in Villa 1-11-14 in Buenos Aires City and ramifications in the wider Buenos Aires metropolitan area. Four of the detained suspects have refused to make statements to the prosecutor. The case, initially handled by prosecutor Gastón Dupláa, has since been transferred to the Homicide UFI for further investigation.