Overview

• Federal judge Ernesto Kreplak ordered preventive detention for HLB Pharma owner Ariel García Furfaro and others, imposed multimillion‑peso embargos, and framed the main charge as adulteration of medicinal substances with resulting death.
• The court filing incorporates 124 deceased patients under investigation nationwide, with reported cases distributed as 54 in Buenos Aires Province, 1 in Buenos Aires City, 50 in Santa Fe, 7 in Córdoba, and 3 in Formosa.
• Seized recordings from May 17–18 show instructions to remove and autoclave fentanyl ampoules (“Llevate esto”) and detail efforts to shut off cameras, wipe servers, and discard a phone to eliminate evidence.
• Technical director José Antonio Maiorano told investigators he was forced to complete and sign backdated batch records, supporting allegations of falsified documentation tied to production controls.
• The ruling centers on lot 31202 (produced December 18, 2024; released January 5, 2025) and notes potential penalties of up to 25 years in prison, as a congressional commission presses ANMAT over oversight failures.