A woman holds an image of Lara Gutierrez as relatives and friends of Brenda del Castillo, Morena Verdi and Gutierrez, gather to protest their torture and killing, during a demonstration called by feminist groups in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, September 27, 2025. (AP)

Three young women, including a 15-year-old, were tortured and killed in Argentina, and authorities said the crime was livestreamed on social media, which caused shock across the country.The women were taken to a house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires last Friday, where their killing was broadcast on private Instagram and TikTok streams, according to a spokesperson for the ministry of security for the Province of Buenos Aires, New York Times reported. The victims were Brenda del Castillo, 20; Morena Verdi, 20; and Lara Gutiérrez, 15.Police believe an international drug group carried out the killings. Authorities said the crime was meant as a message after one of the victims allegedly stole a small package of drugs.Violence by drug gangs is uncommon in Argentina compared with Mexico and other Latin American countries. Authorities said criminal groups are increasingly using social media to intimidate rivals, journalists, and the public.The victims were last seen around 9:30pm on September 19, when they got into a white van in a neighborhood near Buenos Aires. Police said they were taken about 18 miles away to a house with promises of payment for sex work. Investigators said the victims, believing they were going to a party, were lured into the van as part of a plan to “punish” them for violating a gang code and to warn others.

Thousands protest

Thousands of people marched in Buenos Aires on Saturday to demand justice for the three women.Relatives carried a banner with the victims’ names — “Lara, Brenda, Morena” — and placards with their images, joined by supporters, as they marched to Parliament.Signs read, “It was a narco-feminicide!” and “Our lives are not disposable!” while protesters played drums. The march was organized by a feminist group.The bodies of Morena Verdi and Brenda del Castillo, cousins aged 20, and 15-year-old Lara Gutierrez were found buried on Wednesday in the yard of a house in a southern suburb of Buenos Aires, five days after they went missing.

Family statements

“Women must be protected more than ever,” Brenda’s father, Leonel del Castillo, told reporters, as quoted by the news agency AFP. He said he had not been able to identify his daughter’s body because of the abuse she had suffered.Antonio del Castillo, grandfather of the 20-year-old cousins, said the killers were “bloodthirsty.” He added, “You wouldn’t do what they did to them to an animal.”“I have hope that the truth will be revealed,” he said. “I ask people to stand with us.”

Investigation and arrests

On Friday, national security minister Patricia Bullrich announced the arrest of a fifth suspect, bringing the total to three men and two women. The fifth suspect, accused of providing logistical support with a car, was arrested in the Bolivian border city of Villazon.Authorities released a photograph of the alleged mastermind, a 20-year-old Peruvian, who is still at large.