Argentina has long been considered a safe haven from the violence of the drug trade in Latin America, but the assassination of a former henchman of Colombian crime boss "Loco" Barrera in Buenos Aires last week indicates it may no longer be the refuge it once was.
While Mexican drug gangs, particularly the Zetas, are known to have expanded into human trafficking in Mexico, there is little substantive evidence to back recent claims that they are becoming major players in Argentina's sex trade.
Argentine authorities have dismantled a drug trafficking ring which allegedly involved the ex-wives of two major Colombian drug traffickers, underscoring the importance of Argentina as a location for foreign gang leaders.
A leading suspect in a high-profile sex trafficking trial in Argentina has claimed that she too was a victim of forced prostitution, illustrating the difficulties in drawing a sharp line between victims and victimizers in the sex industry.
Authorities dismantled a smugglers' ring that trafficked hundreds of kilos of cocaine from Argentina to Europe, pointing to the continent's increased importance as a consumer market.
Argentina was listed as a country of "primary concern" for money laundering in the latest State Department report, which calls on the country to "urgently address" deficiencies in its handling of the crime.
The arrest of four police accused of murdering a homeless man in order to boost their image illustrates that although Argentina is one of the safest countries in the hemisphere, police corruption and misconduct remain a serious problem.
A case involving a woman's search for her daughter, believed to have been kidnapped by a human trafficking ring 10 years ago, has gripped Argentina, shedding light on how the sex trade operates inside the country.
Ten "narco-planes" used to smuggle drugs between Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay have been found so far this year, suggesting that despite efforts by the three countries to monitor their borders, air trafficking routes remain well-used.
An Argentine court has sentenced a former Colombian beauty queen to six years and eight months in prison for her role at the head of a cocaine trafficking network that ran from Argentina to Europe.
