Overview

• An official Bank of America record filed in a Texas case shows a US$200,000 transfer to Deputy José Luis Espert in January 2020, routed by Debra Mercer‑Erwin’s Wright Brothers Aircraft Title Inc. and linked in court to associate Federico “Fred” Machado.
• Espert said in a video that the money related to private consulting and denied criminal wrongdoing, while President Javier Milei voiced support and the presidential spokesman said Espert must continue providing explanations.
• After an unannounced meeting at the presidential residence, Espert said he will not step down from his Buenos Aires candidacy, and opposition blocs moved to convene a special session to remove him from the Budget Committee chair.
• In Salta, federal prosecutor Lucía Orsetti formalized charges against ex‑provincial deputy Luis Gerónimo Cisneros and five others for aggravated grain smuggling and illicit association, and a judge ordered preventive detention for five defendants.
• Gendarmería raids in Tartagal and Salvador Mazza seized grain valued at more than 69 million pesos, firearms, money‑counting machines and documents, as prosecutors seek fugitive businessman Pablo Emanuel Arequipa and allege about 15.6 million kg of grain were funneled to Bolivia using falsified transport papers and front firms.