At that time, Argala was member of the organization's cultural branch, the Cultural Front. He did not attend the meeting held in Itsasu, the Itsasu Assembly, and at first he remained with the Cultural Front within ETA VI. In December 1970, the Burgos trials ("Proceso de Burgos") took place. On December 2, ETA V kidnapped the German consul, Behil in Donostia. ETA VI then organized "Operación Botella", an operation to break out prisoners. Argala joined the operation, which involved digging tunnels into the prison. While the tunnels managed to reach under the building, they failed to succeed, as they failed to break the prison walls.