A federal court in Argentina has ordered the preventive detention of Roberto Javier Zuco and imposed an asset freeze totaling ARS 7bn ($4.8m) following his arrest in October at the Terralagos gated community in Canning, Buenos Aires Province.
Federal Judge Jorge Rodríguez ruled on December 22 that Zuco was the alleged mastermind behind an illegal online gambling operation that functioned outside Argentinian regulatory and tax frameworks.
Prosecutors accuse Zuco of leading an unlicensed betting network operating since 2020 under the commercial name Celuapuestas, offering internet-based gambling services through websites and social media platforms.
The investigation, led by Federal Prosecutor Santiago Marquevich of the Hurlingham Federal Prosecutor's Office, found that the organization relied on a network of cashiers and money mules to process fragmented deposits across multiple banks in order to bypass automated financial monitoring systems.
Funds were routed through bank accounts and digital wallets registered in the names of frontmen, including family members and individuals with no legitimate economic activity, to obscure ownership and evade asset tracing.
In his ruling, Rodríguez described the case as an emblematic example of organized economic crime, highlighting how technology, cash-based transactions and the use of nominees were combined to launder proceeds from illegal online betting. According to the court, illicit funds were converted through cash withdrawals, the acquisition of registrable assets such as vehicles and real estate, and investments in cryptocurrencies.
Authorities carried out coordinated raids on October 15 across three gated communities in Canning, resulting in the arrest of 19 suspects. Seized assets included 60 vehicles, cash, 40 computers, firearms and 12 kilograms of marijuana prepared for distribution. Investigators also used drone surveillance, which recorded one suspect, Jorge Valdivia, loading a suitcase containing ARS 12m into a vehicle before being stopped at a security checkpoint.
The investigation involved Argentina's Economic Crime and Asset Laundering Prosecutor's Office (Procelac) and the General Directorate of Asset Recovery.
Valdivia, 48, was also placed under preventive detention with home confinement and had assets worth ARS 2bn frozen, after being identified as a necessary participant in the scheme.
During his testimony, he claimed the seized funds originated from gambling winnings at Mar del Plata's Casino Central.
The investigation remains ongoing, with judicial sources confirming that 19 suspects are still at large
