A court filing directly challenging denials made by President Javier Milei’s government has reignited speculation about the arrival of a private jet in Buenos Aires earlier this year.
The 60-page judicial report, prepared by prosecutors Claudio Navas Rial and Sergio Rodríguez, challenges the official version of events, which refutes claims the aircraft’s luggage was not inspected by Customs agents.
Amid frenzied speculation over the contents of the suitcases – and whether someone gave an alleged order that the luggage not be inspected – the Milei administration is on the back foot in a tale that looks set for more twists.
Special arrival
The arrival of a Royal Class Bombardier Global 5000 aircraft at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires City on February 26 initially caused little domestic reaction. But the jet – owned by businessman Leonardo Scatturice, the new proprietor of budget airline Flybondi and a reported former intelligence agent — has now become the focus of a judicial probe, inspiring wild speculation.
On board the aircraft was Scatturice’s corporate operations manager at his firm OCP TECH, the 32-year-old Laura Belén Arrieta, and two crew members, José Luis Donato Bresciano and Juan Pablo Pinto.
Initial reporting by journalist Carlos Pagni back in March claimed that Arrieta, a US citizen with ties to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), was filmed bypassing security controls with customs staff. Days later, she continued on to Paris with the same flight crew.
Surveillance footage and a 60-page judicial report now suggests that 10 suitcases were brought into the country, despite only five being officially declared and no visible customs inspections taking place.
Presidential Spokesperson Manuel Adorni initially dismissed the story as “fake news,” denying claims that an order had been handed down from the Casa Rosada not to inspect the luggage.
“The aircraft arriving at Aeroparque underwent all the routine controls prior to remaining in transit. Both Customs and the PSA airport police participated in this procedure, thus making it impossible for anybody to have seen anybody with 10 suitcases,” he said.
But further reporting by the TN news channel has forced the issue back onto the agenda. Photographs of Arrieta appearing alongside President Milei at a Buenos Aires summit of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event last year, and further evidence released by the courts, have added weight to the suspicions.
Speaking on Monday during an interview with journalist Luis Majul, Milei referred to the suspicions while stressing nothing untoward had taken place.
"There is nothing irregular about suitcases passing through because people are innocent until proven guilty," he stated.
"The discretionary criteria used by Customs is a matter for Customs itself. It is entirely at the discretion and discretion of Customs personnel to decide what passes and what does not," he added.
He also denied knowing Arrieta, saying images of him posing for a photograph with her “does not make me a friend” of her.
Report claims
The report by prosecutors Navas Rial and Rodríguez challenges the official version. It states that while other passengers arriving that day underwent standard checks, Arrieta and the crew of flight N18RU were “reconveyed by Customs personnel without passing through scanners or baggage inspection.”
The document states that the deviation from procedure was not due to congestion, but “an express and direct decision by customs staff,” taken despite there being “technological means available to carry out the inspection.”
Footage from the aircraft hangar during its eight-day stay was also found to have “temporary gaps”, making it impossible to fully track whether the plane remained sealed during its stay in Buenos Aires.
Scatturice’s company assures that nobody entered the plane during its eight days in the private hangar of the Royal Class airline at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery.
Immigration records also contain inconsistencies: while the flight was officially registered as arriving from Fort Lauderdale, it in fact departed from Opa-locka Executive Airport in Miami. Similarly, when the plane left Argentina on March 5, the declared destination was again Fort Lauderdale, though it made a stop in Tenerife before heading to Paris.
The court probe was initiated by Argentina’s administrative investigations unit (PIA), with the TN news channel this week gaining access to the resulting court documents.
The investigation has since widened to include possible smuggling, malfeasance and political favouritism claims. While government officials maintain that Arrieta was simply “in transit” and presented only a carry-on bag for scanning, the footage and judicial findings suggest a coordinated effort to bypass normal customs procedures.
In a televised interview this week, the head of Argentina’s ARCA tax and customs agency, Juan Pazo, offered a new explanation. He claimed the luggage had already undergone “rigorous” checks in the United States and therefore wasn’t subject to mandatory scanning on arrival in Buenos Aires.
“A flight from the US is not the same as one arriving from Venezuela or Nigeria,” he said. “Private jets follow superior procedures compared to commercial flights.”
Pazo also insisted that customs officers are not required to screen all luggage. “The regulations grant selective authority to customs staff,” he said, adding that an internal review had found no wrongdoing and that ARCA itself had initiated a criminal complaint.
“If we had wanted to hide something, the last thing we would have done is trigger a judicial process,” he argued.
Focus on Scatturice
The developing scandal has put renewed focus too on Scatturice, a key figure with growing influence in libertarian circles.
Behind the scenes, Scatturice has emerged as a key figure with growing influence in libertarian circles. A former Federal Police officer, various local outlets have alleged that he has close links with Argentina’s intelligence services.
Scatturice today operates out of Washington, where his consultancy, Tactic Global, partners with high-level US Republican operatives including former Trump advisor Barry Bennett.
The businessman reportedly played a central role in organising CPAC events abroad, including those attended by President Milei. The Buenos Aires jet incident erupted just days after Milei appeared at CPAC Washington, where he voiced support for a future free trade agreement with Donald Trump.
Sources say Scatturice is close to Sergio Neiffert, current head of Argentina’s SIDE intelligence service, and Santiago Caputo, Milei’s top political strategist. Domestic reporting also links him to lobbying efforts around appointments within Argentina’s tax bureau. Despite Scatturice’s denial this week of any espionage past, his proximity to the state and involvement in international political events continue to draw attention.
For now, the government maintains there were no breaches, but the growing body of evidence suggests the case of the 10 suitcases is far from closed.
No-one has yet been formally charged in connection with the case.
– TIMES/PERFIL
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