Former members of ruling party La Libertad Avanza (LLA) are going through difficult times as the judiciary is advancing several corruption investigations against them, including cases of illicit enrichment and alleged ties to drug trafficking.

While a judicial ruling in the $LIBRA case, which involves President Javier Milei, favored a suspect who has ties with the government, the same cannot be said regarding corruption cases involving former chief of staff Manuel Adorni, as well as two ex-lawmakers and the former head of state-owned satellite company ARSAT.

Adorni

On Friday, Judge Ariel Lijo ruled that Adorni cannot leave the country without notifying the judiciary first, which may in turn approve or reject the request. His wife Bettina Angeletti, who is also under investigation, will have to comply with this decision too.

While the ruling did not state there was a flight risk, this was the first restrictive measure against Adorni since the investigation on his assets began in March.

Adorni is being investigated for alleged illicit enrichment after it was found his declared assets did not match recent property purchases and luxury trips he had carried out since becoming a public official in late 2023. Those large expenditures were also significantly above his declared income.

In recent days, lower-ranking officials who had worked under his orders testified that they had purchased items for him using their own credit cards, and that Adorni later repaid them in cash, avoiding paper-trail.

Adorni resigned as chief of staff in late June amid the scandal created by the accusations, which he firmly rejected.

Espert

Former LLA deputy and 2025 legislative candidate José Luis Espert is scheduled to testify on Tuesday for his ties with businessman and alleged drug dealer Federico Fred Machado, who is in prison in the United States.

A San Isidro prosecutor is accusing Espert of being part of a money laundering scheme led by Machado, in which the ex-lawmaker purportedly received at least US$200,000 from Machado and bought luxury cars in an attempt to “clean” the funds.

While Machado was originally accused of drug trafficking, in May he reached an agreement with prosecutors to drop those charges in exchange for pleading guilty to money laundering and tax fraud, a deal that was later accepted by the court.

Espert admitted to receiving a wire transfer from Machado, but claimed it was a payment for services he provided to a mining company connected to him. He dropped out of the 2025 legislative elections as LLA’s top candidate over the scandal.

Kueider

On Monday, a Paraguayan prosecutor requested a prison sentence of two years and two months for former senator Edgardo Kueider and his partner (and former secretary) Iara Guinsel for attempted contraband.

The two were arrested in Paraguay with over US$200,000 of undeclared cash while crossing the border from Brazil in late 2024. The sum was well over the limit for undeclared cash, and they could not justify where the funds came from.

The Paraguayan judiciary is also investigating them for money laundering and suspects they acquired several apartments in Asunción using illicit funds. The properties have since been seized. Next week, Kuider is expected to be formally accused of money laundering.

While originally a Peronist senator elected in 2019, Kueider consistently voted with LLA since it rose to power in late 2023, until he was removed from Congress in December 2024. He was one of two Peronist senators to vote for President Milei’s massive reform Ley Bases law, earning condemnation from within the party, which ultimately expelled him.

ARSAT

A lower-profile case, an investigation on corruption accusations against former ARSAT head Facundo Leal is also moving forward, as he will testify next Monday, July 13.

Leal is accused of benefitting a company with state contracts and embezzling public funds. He is also being investigated for alleged drug trafficking after around US$2 million and several drugs were found on his properties. He had requested to be transferred from prison to house arrest to treat his drug addiction, but a judge rejected the request on Friday.