The Menores

The Menores is one of the most powerful criminal groups in Rosario, Argentina’s third-largest city and one of the country’s main hubs for drug-related violence. The organization is involved in the retail distribution of marijuana and cocaine, online and in-person gambling, and money laundering, according to official reports and local media.

The Menores emerged around 2020 amid the weakening of the Monos and the Alvarado Clan, two organizations that had long dominated Rosario’s criminal landscape. The decline of these groups opened space in local territories and illegal markets, which the Menores exploited to expand its operations, forge alliances, and establish itself as an influential criminal actor in the city.

The Story of the Menores

The Menores emerged amid the fragmentation of Rosario’s criminal landscape after the weakening of the Monos and the Alvarado Clan. The arrests of the alleged key leaders from both organizations weakened their control over territory and illegal markets, creating opportunities for new groups to emerge. 

Prosecutors trace the beginning of the Menores to April 2020 in the 7 de Septiembre neighborhood of northwestern Rosario. The group expanded into other parts of Rosario through territorial disputes, alliances, selective killings, and armed attacks against rivals, according to local investigations, building strength primarily through cocaine and marijuana dealing. It later diversified into illegal gambling, money laundering, weapons trafficking, and criminal economies linked to the Rosario Central soccer club’s fan group, barra brava, including drug sales and ticket scalping.

The Menores also relied on flexible alliances with other criminal groups to expand its reach and operations.

It began appearing more frequently in police investigations into violent incidents in Rosario starting in 2022, and gained national attention following the November 2024 murders of Andrés Bracamonte, alias “Pillín,” and Daniel Attardo, alias “Rana,” leaders of the Rosario Central fan club. Investigators linked members of the Menores to the killings and are examining whether the murders were motivated by efforts to gain influence over the area and the illicit economies surrounding the football club.

The Menores is led by Matías Ignacio Gazzani, with several organizers who coordinate specific criminal activities. Gazzani  has been on the run since February 2024, and currently tops Santa Fe’s list of most wanted fugitives. He is wanted for drug sales, illicit association, threats, intimidation, and armed attacks, and as well as the 2024 double murder. 

Lisandro Damián Contreras, alias “Licha” or “Limón,” was another senior Menores leader. He was captured in December 2024 in Tigre, Buenos Aires province. Local media described him as one of the organization’s top figures, and although his arrest dealt a significant blow to the group, it continues to play an important role in Rosario’s criminal landscape.

The organization operates mainly in northwestern Rosario, and its main strongholds are the neighborhoods of 7 de Septiembre, La Tablada, Villa Bombacha, Emaús, Stella Maris, and Hostal del Sol.

Alleged leader Gazzani coordinates a kind of “narco cooperative” that brings together several smaller criminal groups and actors involved in illicit activities, according to media reports citing judicial and government sources. Investigators believe the criminal network coordinated by Gazzani has begun moving quantities of cocaine that exceed the needs of Rosario’s local drug market, with operations reportedly expanding toward the Buenos Aires metropolitan area and Córdoba province.

It remains unclear whether the Menores have expanded into Buenos Aires or Córdoba provinces in a way that goes beyond temporary criminal partnerships.

Who Are the Menores’ Allies and Enemies?

The Menores have built a network of alliances with other criminal groups to expand their influence and compete for illicit markets in Rosario. Among their main allies are actors linked to the Alvarado Clan and the Riquelme Clan, both of which have historically been at odds with sectors of the Monos. 

Santino Alvarado, the current leader of the Alvarado Clan and son of Esteban Lindor Alvarado, has been described as an ally of the Menores, according to reports

These alliances have reinforced the Menores’ rivalry with the Monos, its main rival, especially in northwestern Rosario. However, the relationship between the two groups is not exclusively confrontational. A 2025 investigation identified a drug trafficking network with retail sales points linked to both the Monos and the Menores, showing that their criminal structures can overlap despite their rivalry.

The Menores’ alliances and rivalries are flexible and can shift depending on territorial disputes, competition over criminal economies, and opportunities to cooperate with other groups.

What Lies Ahead for the Menores?

Despite increasing pressure from authorities and several major blows, the Menores has not lost its influence in Rosario’s criminal landscape. Its flexible structure and ability to forge alliances with other criminal actors have helped the group withstand arrests and law enforcement pressure. As long as key figures remain active and these networks persist, the Menores is likely to remain an important force in Rosario’s fragmented criminal landscape.