Overview

• The Argentine government has empowered military personnel to detain civilians committing crimes in flagrancia along the northern border, under secret 'reglas de empeñamiento' annexed to Resolution 347.
• These engagement rules permit soldiers to carry loaded weapons during patrols, restrict the use of force to self-defense or third-party defense, and mandate immediate notification to judicial authorities after detentions.
• Operativo Roca, currently deploying 1,300 troops in Salta, aims to mobilize 10,000 soldiers by year-end, but military sources question the feasibility of such a large-scale deployment.
• Critics, including former defense ministers, argue that the measure may violate existing security laws, particularly the Law of Security Interior, which limits military involvement in domestic policing.
• Defense Minister Petri defends the initiative, citing Article 287 of the National Criminal Procedure Code, which permits any authority to arrest in flagrancia, and comparing it to border control practices in neighboring countries.