A quiet gas station in Oran, in the Argentine province of Salta, became the scene of a spectacular explosion with an even more surprising outcome. Sofía Chaparro, a Buenos Aires police sergeant, and her three children were involved in the incident when her car, a Ford Fiesta, unexpectedly exploded while refueling. What they didn’t know is that the deflagration would expose a hidden charge.
The event occurred just after Chaparro stopped to refuel his vehicle, which had just left a mechanic’s shop. The detonation not only caused an obvious physical impact, but left all witnesses stunned when they discovered that the explosion had released about 20 kilos of cocaine hidden inside the car’s gas tank, leaving the surrounding area covered in drugs.
What has increased the seriousness of the case has been the fact that Chaparro, responsible for the vehicle and mother of the three minors who accompanied her, one of whom was injured in the eye in the incident, is a member of the police force. Therefore, the involvement of a police officer in a drug trafficking case may increase the legal consequences she would face.
Despite the compromising circumstances, Chaparro maintains that he was unaware of the existence of the drugs in his car, arguing that he had just picked it up from the workshop and was heading to Buenos Aires. However, justice did not take long to act and Chaparro was arrested, having to face an investigation for drug trafficking, aggravated by her police status.
The prosecution, for the moment, has requested that he remain in preventive detention for 60 days, taking into account the seriousness of the crimes and the potential risk of escape. Despite her defense’s requests for her to be placed under house arrest, taking into account her children, some of whom have disabilities, the court has decided to keep her in provisional detention.
As the investigation continues, Argentine authorities are seeking to determine the extent of Chaparro’s involvement in this matter and whether he was part of a broader drug trafficking network.