The Anti-Narcotics Brigade of the Investigative Police (PDI) arrested a 38-year-old second corporal in the Prison Service and five other people in Concepción, Coronel and San Pedro de la Paz. According to the investigation, the officer led a criminal association that smuggled drugs into the Biobío Penitentiary Complex.
According to BioBioChile, the prison officer has more than 15 years of service in the institution and will be formally charged with drug trafficking and money laundering. CNN Chile added that the six detainees face charges of illicit drug trafficking, illegal possession of ammunition and money laundering. The PDI publicized the operation on X on October 9, 2026.
According to CNN Chile, the investigation began with a complaint from the Prison Service itself. The outlet said the officer was caught in the act, meaning he was arrested while allegedly committing the crime. BioBioChile reported that the investigation had been underway for months.
Prosecutor Michelangelo Bianchi, of the Public Prosecutor's Office, said the formal charges include prison-related offenses because the investigation concerns drugs being brought into the prison. According to information from the Prosecutor's Office, the association included the defendant's wife and mother.
Bianchi explained that there are "various hypotheses involving both drug sales and carrying and possession", based on evidence found at the homes of the defendant and his family members. According to the prosecutor, the drug transactions detected prompted intrusive investigative measures, such as entry and search warrants.
PDI Prefect Antonio Jeldres said the gang had a storage site where it bulked up the drugs. During the raids, police seized more than a kilo of cocaine hydrochloride, along with ketamine and other substances used to increase the volume of the drugs. The sources differ on the name of those substances: BioBioChile refers to "keratin" and CNN Chile to "creatine".
Police also seized ammunition, 10 cellphones, cash, a saber, three vehicles and Prison Service items, such as identification cards. According to Jeldres, the investigation confirmed that the officer trafficked drugs both inside and outside the facility.
The defendant, now described as a former officer, worked on transfers in the special services unit. Colonel Claudio González, head of the Biobío Penitentiary Complex, said there is "zero tolerance" for officers who depart from institutional doctrine.
The case is at the formal charging stage, the hearing at which the Prosecutor's Office formally communicates the charges. The six defendants will appear before the Concepción Guarantee Court. The sources do not report the case number (RUC, the Prosecutor's Office's unique case identifier) or what precautionary measures the Prosecutor's Office will request. According to the Prosecutor's Office and the PDI, the investigation remains open, and the involvement of other officers has not been ruled out.
