Overview

• Federal Judge Gustavo Villanueva sent the extradition file back to the Supreme Court on October 3 after the Foreign Ministry relayed that U.S. accusations remain in force.
• U.S. authorities in Texas continue to seek Machado’s surrender on narcotrafficking, money‑laundering and fraud charges.
• If the Court upholds extradition, the Executive will have ten business days to grant or deny it, a decision made more sensitive by Machado’s ties to deputy José Luis Espert and his counsel’s role as President Javier Milei’s personal lawyer.
• Machado has been under house arrest in Viedma since his April 2021 detention; his extradition was declared procedente in April 2022 and backed by Procurador General Eduardo Casal.
• Defense attorney Francisco Oneto delayed the process with challenges, including a claim that a U.S. ruling undercut the case, which the U.S. reply rejected; documents also show a USD 200,000 transfer to Espert and dozens of 2019 campaign flights on Machado‑linked aircraft that Espert acknowledged using.