Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab speaks during a press conference at the Public Prosecutor's Office in Caracas on September 30, 2024. | AFP/Federico Parra

Caracas, September 30 (RHC)-- The Attorney General of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab, links new legal actions for the theft of the plane from the Venezuelan firm, Emtrasur. 
In Caracas, the top prosecutor denounced the political operation led by former President Mauricio Macri, Patricia Bullrich and allies.  "The room that made the decision in Argentina is known as the 'M' room, in reference to the fact that it is controlled by Mauricio Macri, which shows how politicized this decision is," said Saab, who called a press conference to report the expansion of the arrest warrants.

According to the Venezuelan official, the hijacking of the plane was possible thanks to the pressure exerted by Patricia Bullrich, former Minister of Security and prominent figure in Argentinian politics, who, according to Saab, would have influenced the judges to rule against Venezuela.

Consequently, the Attorney General of Venezuela requested new arrest warrants and international red alert against several Argentinian officials, within the framework of the investigation into the retention of the plane of the Aerocargo del Sur Transport Company (Emtrasur), a subsidiary of the state-owned Conviasa.

In this new extension, Saab reported that the assigned prosecutors requested arrest warrants against key figures of the Argentinian judicial and political system, whom he accused of being involved in what he called the “robbery and kidnapping” of the Venezuelan plane.

Among the names mentioned, Gerardo Milman, Argentinian deputy, and several judges and prosecutors of the South American nation stand out.

“The arrest warrants are based on aggravated robbery, money laundering, unlawful deprivation of liberty, simulation of a punishable act, unlawful interference, disabling of aircraft and criminal association,” said Saab.

Among those named are Federico Villena, federal judge of Lomas de Zamora; Cecilia Patricia Incardona, federal prosecutor; Carlos Vallefín, judge of the Federal Court of Appeals of La Plata; and Roberto Lemus Arias, judge of the same court.

In addition to these figures, Saab mentioned other officials involved, such as Ricardo López, Yamil Santolo and María Eugenia Talérico, former vice president of the Information Unit of Mauricio Macri's Government, who have also been requested to be issued an arrest warrant.

Also named were lawyer Leonardo Camiser, chief prosecutor Diego Iglesias and aeronautical consultant Franco Rinaldi.

The Emtrasur plane, a Boeing 747-3B3, was detained in Buenos Aires in June 2022, after it landed carrying a load of auto parts from the German company Volkswagen.

However, after trying to leave the country, the aircraft was detained under alleged suspicions related to sanctions imposed by the United States, due to its previous links with the Iranian company Mahan Air.

In February 2024, the administration of Nicolás Maduro denounced that the plane was dismantled by the United States after its transfer from Argentina.

Saab described this event as part of a plan that had been in development for nearly two years.  "What happened with this plane owned by the Venezuelan company Emtrasur was the result of a plan hatched for more than twenty months," he said.

In addition to the orders issued against Argentine officials, Saab recalled that arrest warrants had previously been requested against the Argentinian president, Javier Milei; his sister and general secretary, Karina Milei; and the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, who are accused of having facilitated the seizure of the plane.

Tensions between Venezuela and Argentina have escalated since the seizure of the plane, with accusations between the governments of both countries.  Venezuela maintains that the action was orchestrated by the government of Mauricio Macri and supported by the current administration of Milei, with the collaboration of international sectors, such as DAIA and AMIA, to create a conspiracy story linked to Venezuela and Iran.