The organization Freeland International, specialized in wildlife trafficking, warned in January 2025 about hunting tourism trips organized by foreign hunters and influencers to Sauce (Corrientes).
According to the complaint, these groups claim to have the “collaboration” of a local wildlife inspector to export hunted animals as “trophies” to countries like Brazil, the United States, or Spain, despite the locality not having official permits to do so.
Judicial Investigation
The Specialized Prosecutor’s Unit for Organized Crime (Ufeco) opened an investigation file after detecting possible officials involved in the alleged smuggling scheme. The focus is on Diego Miguel Ruiz Díaz, an honorary inspector of flora and fauna of the Provincial Directorate of Natural Resources, identified by multiple sources as a key player in the circuit.
Ruiz Díaz, with a background as a poacher and trader of red deer meat without authorization, accumulated between 2022 and 2025 nine legal cases for abuse of authority, theft, minor injuries, and illicit association. Although he was acquitted in one case, the rest are still ongoing.
Permit and Antler Circuit
In 2021, Ruiz Díaz confiscated 582 kilos of axis deer antlers destined for China. The file revealed that part came from poaching. Although the prosecution reported irregularities in the sale of the antlers, the inspector was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
The provincial law allows seized products to be given “the most convenient destination,” and the funds should go to the Fund for the Protection and Conservation of Wildlife. However, there is no clear traceability of the profits.
Local sources consulted by the portal La Nación claim that hunting permits in Sauce depend on the relationship with the inspector. “If you want to hunt and don’t have land, you talk to him and he facilitates the process,” described a rural lawyer.
Testimonies and Disputes
- Fabio Ávalos, owner of the La Alemana preserve, reported harassment and extortion: Ruiz Díaz allegedly asked for between 20% and 30% of the profits.
- Other preserves linked to the inspector promote axis deer hunting on social media with foreign influencers, showing weapons with silencers and night sights, which are prohibited in Argentina.
- Sector sources describe the inspector as “abusive” and “extortionate,” while he claims the accusations come from poachers seeking to discredit him.
Provincial Context
The antler business and sport hunting have become a significant income source in Corrientes. However, the lack of controls and corruption allegations jeopardize the conservation of wildlife and institutional credibility.
The Directorate of Natural Resources, headed by Agustín Portela, defended the inspector, arguing that he has empirical knowledge of the sector’s anomalies. The directorate’s lawyer, Diego Diratchette, downplayed the complaints and labeled them as a conspiracy of dissatisfied hunters.
The Sauce case exposes the tension between hunting tourism, the lack of transparency in permit management, and the risk of wildlife smuggling. The judicial investigation and international organizations’ complaints place Corrientes at the center of a debate on the need to strengthen controls, ensure traceability, and protect biodiversity against economic interests and illegal networks.
*With information from La Nación
