Overview
- Maximiliano Oscar Martínez, a 30-year-old Policía Federal Argentina agent, was last seen on Tuesday, September 8 in La Quiaca and family and CCTV footage indicate he crossed into Villazón, Bolivia by bicycle.
- Authorities moved the operation into Bolivia after Martínez’s cellphone registered activations there following the activation of the search protocol.
- Fiscal Alberto Mendívil is coordinating a joint effort of about 250 Argentine and Bolivian security personnel who carried out raids in Villazón with Argentine observers but found no confirmed results as of September 14.
- Investigators have seized DVRs and other devices to reconstruct Martínez’s route while the family, who say he often crossed the border to buy goods, continues to press for news and authorities have asked the public to report verified tips to emergency lines.
- The case highlights cross-border legal and operational limits because Bolivian authorization is required for searches inside its territory and officials have pursued digital and forensic leads, including an Interpol alert reported by local media.