A TikTok influencer who claimed she got rich from selling adult content despite having only 24 subscribers has been arrested on allegations she dealt drugs at nightclubs to make a living.
Macarena Distefano, 30, was detained in the western suburbs of Buenos Aires, Argentina, after a long-running investigation by federal authorities. The social media personality had built up thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram, where she showed off holidays, designer goods, jet skis, new cars and trips abroad.
But investigators say her public lifestyle, which she claimed was funded by adult content, did not match her official income records. Distefano has been accused of being part of a drug-dealing network that allegedly distributed narcotics in nightclubs in the west of the Buenos Aires metropolitan area.
Nightclub Connections
The venues reportedly included Pinar de Rocha, a well-known nightclub that has since been shut down. The investigation began in 2023 and was handled by Federal Court Number 2 in Moron, under Judge Jorge Rodriguez, and the Federal Prosecutor's Office in Hurlingham, led by prosecutor Santiago Marquevich.
Judicial sources have stated Distefano had a registered tax address at a modest home in Villa Maipu, in San Martin, and had never held a formal registered job. She was reportedly registered as self-employed for only six months and had no recorded credit card spending that would explain her expenses.
Lavish Social Media Posts
On social media, Distefano posted images from the Caribbean, Mexico, Colombia and France, including pictures at the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and Disneyland Paris. She also shared videos of gifts she claimed to have bought for relatives, including trainers worth nearly ARS 1 million (GBP 520), a car for her mother and a Volkswagen T-Cross for her grandparents.
The vehicle was reportedly worth around ARS 40 million (GBP 20,835). Distefano also announced a digital car-buying and selling business in 2025, which appeared to present her as an entrepreneur.
Arrest and Seizures
However, investigators reportedly became suspicious after her accounts stopped being updated, and she was arrested at the end of April. Officers raided Distefano's apartment in a modern complex in the western suburbs, which appeared in several of the adult star's videos.
They reportedly seized seven grams of tusi, known as pink cocaine, divided into three bags allegedly ready for distribution. Officers also seized her iPhone for forensic examination. Distefano's defence has reportedly said the drugs were for personal and recreational use.
Her associates also reportedly claimed her income came from selling erotic material on digital platforms. But investigators said one of the profiles cited had only 24 followers, far fewer than would be needed to support the lifestyle she displayed online. Police sources said Distefano had previously been stopped in Gregorio de Laferrere, in La Matanza, while travelling in a car with allegedly altered documents.
Ongoing Investigation
The federal case also reportedly includes around a dozen suspects, including four other women said to have frequented the nightclub circuit and VIP areas in the western suburbs. Distefano is currently the only person detained in the case. Investigators are also examining her links to an alleged drug boss from Ituzaingo, who reportedly had previous convictions and is said to have had a close friendship with her.
Gendarmerie officers also raided the alleged leader's home in a gated community, but he had already left and the property was reportedly almost empty. Prosecutors are now preparing to request formal charges against Distefano while the court continues phone examinations and bank checks as part of efforts to identify the rest of the alleged network.
