A manifest provided by the US did not list war materiel and drugs which were seized by Argentine authorities.
Among the confiscated materiel were communications interception equipment , encrypted communications equipment, sophisticated GPS devices, high power rifles, a machine gun and narcotics as well as a full trunk of expired pharmaceuticals including stimulants. All boxes had the stamp of the 7th Army Airborne Brigade based in North Carolina.
The Argentine government estimates the value of the goods and the C17 transport expenses to exceed $2 million.
The unreported contents also included an odd brochure with the phrase “I am a United States soldier. Please report to my embassy I have been arrested by the country.” translated into fifteen languages.
US documents described the shipment as intended for an Argentine government approved Federal police training course.
Argentina reiterated that it does not wish for the internal security practices of Rio’s favelas or El Salvador’s gangs to be the model for the Argentine nation.
The Argentine government will be suspending the police training program.
Argentina’s ambassador to the US described the situation as “a shameful embarrassment” before returning the cargo to North Carolina.
It is noted that any Argentine, civilian or military, who attempted to smuggle weapons and drugs into the US would be arrested immediately.
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