Venezuela seeks arrest of Argentina’s Milei
Venezuela has declared its intention to pursue an arrest warrant for Argentine President Javier Milei. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Caracas has initiated a criminal investigation against Argentine President Javier Milei for reportedly transferring a seized Venezuelan cargo plane to the United States.
The controversy involves the Emtrasur Cargo Boeing 747-300FM, which was acquired from Iran’s Mahan Air. In August 2022, Argentine authorities seized the aircraft at the request of the U.S., which had previously placed Mahan Air on a blacklist due to export restrictions related to Iran.
Venezuela has consistently protested the aircraft's detention, arguing that Argentina violated international law, and has sought compensation for the incident. In March 2024, Caracas closed its airspace to flights both to and from Argentina.
On Wednesday, Venezuelan Prosecutor General Tarek Saab announced the investigation and revealed that he had commissioned two prosecutors to prepare arrest warrants for Milei, his sister Karina Milei—a key figure in the president’s office—and Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich.
Saab stated that the actions of Argentina’s leadership entail seven distinct crimes under Venezuelan law, including “aggravated theft” and money laundering. He mentioned that “a competent court here in Venezuela” would issue a ruling on the warrants shortly.
In 2024, the aircraft was “illegally” transferred to the U.S., where it was “completely dismantled,” an act that “outraged the Venezuelan nation,” Saab noted.
In response, the Argentine Foreign Ministry issued a statement “repudiating” the arrest warrants, asserting that the transfer of the plane had been sanctioned by Argentina’s judicial system as per a bilateral treaty with Washington. The statement emphasized, “The judiciary is an independent power, with which the government cannot and should not interfere in any way.”
Milei, who identifies as an anarcho-capitalist, took office as Argentina’s president in 2023 and has vowed to “strengthen the strategic alliance” with the U.S.
He has recently urged the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, labeling him a “dictator” and accusing him of human rights violations. Maduro, in turn, has characterized Milei as “a right-wing extremist” and accused him of “kneeling to U.S. imperialism.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
The controversy involves the Emtrasur Cargo Boeing 747-300FM, which was acquired from Iran’s Mahan Air. In August 2022, Argentine authorities seized the aircraft at the request of the U.S., which had previously placed Mahan Air on a blacklist due to export restrictions related to Iran.
Venezuela has consistently protested the aircraft's detention, arguing that Argentina violated international law, and has sought compensation for the incident. In March 2024, Caracas closed its airspace to flights both to and from Argentina.
On Wednesday, Venezuelan Prosecutor General Tarek Saab announced the investigation and revealed that he had commissioned two prosecutors to prepare arrest warrants for Milei, his sister Karina Milei—a key figure in the president’s office—and Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich.
Saab stated that the actions of Argentina’s leadership entail seven distinct crimes under Venezuelan law, including “aggravated theft” and money laundering. He mentioned that “a competent court here in Venezuela” would issue a ruling on the warrants shortly.
In 2024, the aircraft was “illegally” transferred to the U.S., where it was “completely dismantled,” an act that “outraged the Venezuelan nation,” Saab noted.
In response, the Argentine Foreign Ministry issued a statement “repudiating” the arrest warrants, asserting that the transfer of the plane had been sanctioned by Argentina’s judicial system as per a bilateral treaty with Washington. The statement emphasized, “The judiciary is an independent power, with which the government cannot and should not interfere in any way.”
Milei, who identifies as an anarcho-capitalist, took office as Argentina’s president in 2023 and has vowed to “strengthen the strategic alliance” with the U.S.
He has recently urged the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, labeling him a “dictator” and accusing him of human rights violations. Maduro, in turn, has characterized Milei as “a right-wing extremist” and accused him of “kneeling to U.S. imperialism.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
