Argentine Espionage Operation Exposed: A Decade of Covert Surveillance

The arrest of former police officer, Ariel Zanchetta, has unearthed a significant espionage operation involving 1,196 intelligence reports on thousands of targets, including President Alberto Fernández, presidential candidates, journalists, politicians, judges, union leaders, and religious figures. These reports, compiled over nearly a decade, reveal intimate details, such as sexual orientation, property ownership, and political affiliation, alongside the use of hidden cameras and drones. Zanchetta was part of a faction within the Argentine Federal Intelligence Agency (AFI) under Fernando Pocino, former director of Information Gathering at the AFI, and former Army chief César Milani, both supposedly belonging to the Kirchnerist faction of the AFI.

Uncovering the Espionage Operation

The arrest has exposed a large-scale intelligence operation allegedly carried out under the Kirchnerist government. Evidence collected so far indicates that this operation was commissioned by sectors within the Kirchnerist movement within the AFI. The investigation revealed that Zanchetta exchanged messages with ultrakirchnerist deputy, Rodolfo Tailhade, and Fabián "Conu" Rodríguez, a former president of the state news agency Télam and current director at the AFIP.

Zanchetta's Spying Activities

Zanchetta, who operated as an independent spy, conducted intelligence operations for three AFI agents. He collected information on politicians and businessmen, including details about their assets and personal lives, and conducted covert surveillance using hidden cameras and drones. Notably, former Minister of Transportation Mario Meoni and politician Sergio Massa, who were running against the Kirchnerist faction at the time, were among his surveillance targets.

Information Source and Illegal Activities

Zanchetta obtained information from a private company, Sudaamericadata, providing access to sensitive data such as personal phone numbers, private email addresses, exact income figures, and property ownership. Still, it's not registered in the National Register of Databases, and the source of its information remains unknown. This company is currently under investigation for providing inaccurate information to authorities.

In addition to his spying activities, Zanchetta also maintained records of illegal phone wiretaps, email interceptions, and the use of drones in his Toshiba notebook. The notebook also contained printed documents with the letterhead of the Secretariat of Intelligence (SIDE), dating back to 2014. These documents described intelligence tasks and classified the information as secret.

The investigation has exposed evidence of a parallel espionage operation conducted by a faction within the AFI during Daniel Scioli's presidency. The operation included illegal phone interceptions and targeted individuals such as Marcelo Balcedo, Sergio Berni, Andrés Larroque, Federico Scarabino, and more. The probe into this espionage operation is ongoing, and the full extent of the activities carried out by Zanchetta and his associates is still being unearthed. This case underscores the serious concerns about the abuse of power and invasion of privacy by intelligence agencies under the previous government, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability in intelligence operations to prevent such abuses in the future.