Five people were placed in pretrial detention, a measure that keeps them in custody during the investigation. They are accused of transporting more than 60 kilos of marijuana from Santiago to the Los Lagos Region. Carabineros arrested them on Route 5 South, near the Purranque toll plaza.
According to La Tercera, the investigation was conducted jointly by the Quellón Local Prosecutor’s Office and the Carabineros OS-7 Section, the specialist drug unit. In addition to the marijuana, police seized two vehicles, cellphones and cash. The sources do not specify the exact date of the operation. Los Lagos Carabineros reported it on X on October 13.
The case began when several marijuana sales locations were detected in Quellón, in Chiloé Province. Based on that information, the Public Prosecutor’s Office tasked OS-7 with investigating the origin of the drugs. This established the alleged supply chain serving the area.
According to BioBioChile, the defendants were traveling in two vehicles. First, Carabineros stopped the so-called scout car, which was responsible for warning of any police presence. Officers then intercepted a second car carrying a large share of the more than 60 packages.
Los Lagos Regional Prosecutor Carmen Gloria Wittwer said the drugs were to be distributed in the municipality of Quellón and in Puerto Montt. Authorities describe the seizure as one of the most significant of 2026 in Chiloé Province.
The five defendants have already been formally charged, meaning the Prosecutor’s Office informed them before a judge that they are under investigation. Four of them have criminal records, some for violations of Law 20,000, which penalizes drug trafficking. The sources do not provide their names or the case number (RIT or RUC).
The head of the Carabineros Los Lagos Zone, General Jorge Valdivia Correa, warned about apps that indicate where police checkpoints are located on roads. In his view, these tools greatly facilitate drug trafficking.
Regional Security Secretary Francisco Muñoz said they are working on a bill to create an agency to auction off assets that gangs acquire through illicit businesses. The investigation remains open, and the Prosecutor’s Office will analyze the cellphones and the other evidence seized.