Three people were arrested in Argentina on Wednesday for threatening Argentine footballer Ángel Di María and his family, Minister of Security Patricia Bullrich said.
One of the suspects, who was under investigation for drug trafficking when he was arrested, confessed that he and two accomplices had made the threats against Di María’s family.
On Monday, Di María’s family home in Rosario, northeastern Argentina, was shot at by a car driving by and had a written message left there warning the World Cup winner against returning to his hometown team.
The attack happened after Di María, currently under contract with Portuguese club Benfica until June, said he would like to finish his professional career at Rosario Central, where he started his career.
Following the death threats, Di María said he followed the incident closely, telling a sports broadcaster: “I have my family and what was happening affects me.”
On Instagram Stories, the soccer star posted a picture of the Rosario flag with the caption: “We ask for peace.”
Rosario Central condemned the attack on March 25, saying in a statement: “We cannot let [someone] frighten footballers or attack them or their relatives.”
Rosario is one of the most dangerous cities in Argentina. In 2022, the homicide rate was 22 for each 100,000 residents, according to official numbers from the government of Santa Fe province. As a comparison, the homicide rate in New York City in 2018 was 3.5 per 100,000 residents, according to the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice.
With the support of the central government, the Santa Fe government launched “Plan Bandera” [“Plan Flag”] to fight against “narcoterrorism” at the beginning of this year.
“We’re chasing the mafias, the drug [traffickers] and extortioners to bring safety to all Rosarinos and all Argentinians,” Bullrich posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, as she announced the arrests.
