The Official Announcement
This Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 3:36 PM, the head of government of Buenos Aires City, Jorge Macri, made a forceful announcement through his official X account (formerly Twitter). “The mafia of stolen cell phones is over,” he wrote, marking the start of a new phase in the fight against insecurity in the city.
What the Emergency Implies
The emergency declaration allows the city executive to streamline administrative procedures, allocate extraordinary resources, and coordinate direct actions with security forces and the judiciary. While specific measures have not yet been detailed, an increase in control operations over spare parts stores and the implementation of new technologies for device tracking are expected.
“Let it be clear: whoever buys a stolen phone to dismantle it and sell it by parts is not a merchant: they are a criminal who is part of a mafia network.”
The Role of Buyers
In his message, Macri was blunt in pointing out the links in the illegal chain that sustains the black market for cell phones. The declaration directly targets clandestine workshops and parts buyers, who finance the crime of theft.
Context of the Problem
Cell phone theft is one of the most frequent crimes in Buenos Aires City. According to official statistics, a large portion of stolen devices end up being dismantled to sell their components (screens, batteries, boards) on the informal market. This measure seeks to attack the demand that finances these thefts, cutting off the criminal circuit from its economic base.
Sources
The information was disseminated by Jorge Macri himself through his official X account. For more details, you can consult the head of government's profile: @jorgemacri.