Overview

• Speaking from house arrest, Machado claimed he provided money, flights and logistical support to Espert in 2019, asserting a contract worth more than $200,000 and denying involvement in drug trafficking.
• Espert previously acknowledged a $200,000 transfer via a U.S. account that he described as payment for consultancy work, and he resigned his candidacy and his seat on the Budget and Finance Committee.
• U.S. court records from the Texas case USA v. Mercer‑Erwin include Bank of America evidence of a January 22, 2020 transfer linked to Machado‑associated entities and used in the 2023 trial.
• Argentine investigators are examining documented aircraft use by Espert in 2019, with testimony from Med Aviación’s Horacio Rodríguez referencing numerous flights tied to that campaign period.
• Judge Marcelo Martínez De Giorgi is holding off on formally summoning Espert while Machado’s U.S. extradition proceeds, as the extradition file has returned to Argentina’s Supreme Court for a decision.