A man from Santiago del Estero linked to ISIS was prosecuted with preventive detention

The federal justice system of Santiago del Estero prosecuted and ordered preventive detention of a man from that northern Argentine province for his links with the terrorist organization ISIS Also known as Islamic State. The decision was made by the head of Federal Court No. 1 of Santiago del Estero, Guillermo Daniel Molinari against Daniel Antonio Aguero accused of the crimes of possession of explosive materials, organization and/or being part of permanent or temporary groups whose objective was to impose ideas or combat those of others by force or fear.

The proceedings began following information sent by the FBI to the Criminal Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of National Security. The legal attaché of the Federal Investigation Office at the United States Embassy in Argentina indicated that a person who would reside in our country through the Telegram messaging system carried out searches for resources for the manufacture of an explosive component. He further reported that Said user - identified as “very” @akdkslw - was active in networks facilitating attacks by the Islamic State (ISIS). which is why it could represent a potential threat.

Given the tenor of the information sent by the FBI, the Specialized Cybercrime Fiscal Unit (UFECI) began a preliminary investigation that made it possible to establish which was the internet provider company through which the user connected to the networks of the terrorist organization. After a consultation with the whois database, it emerged that the provider company is Telecom Argentina, so the researchers requested that said company report the IP address data from where the now accused person connected with the Islamic State.

Telecom responded to the UFECI request indicating that said IP address had been assigned to Daniel Agüero, with billing address on Tenencio Morini Street in the city of Santiago del Estero. With this information, this Specialized Fiscal Unit intervened to the Anti-Terrorist Investigation Unit of the Argentine Federal Police, which was able to detect that Agüero was a user of several accounts on the social network Facebook, one of which highlighted that he had several “friends” with names. from the Middle East. Likewise, when examining the account that Agüero would have used on the Telegram messaging service and from which he maintained communications with the Islamic State networks, they found that he has two profile photos, one of the flag of the terrorist organization ISIS and the other is what the group calls “Isis warrior.”

Then members of the Anti-Terrorist Unit approached the address reported by Telecom as the billing address for the internet service corresponding to the IP from which contact with ISIS was established, in the city of Santiago del Estero and when they knocked on the door they were answered. by a man who said he was Daniel Antonio Agüero. A raid was also ordered in which Agüero's cell phone and a tablet were seized, on which tests were carried out, the conclusions of which were incorporated into the case.

Federal Judge Molinari processed and ordered preventive detention for Daniel Agüero but granted him the benefit of serving it at home considering what was stated by his defender who indicated that he was a person with a disability. However, his continuity depends on the conclusions of a medical review ordered by the magistrate.

When consulted by infobae about the legal instruments that the Argentine justice system has to criminalize this type of act, Juan Felix Marteau, a lawyer who intervened in the case of the ISIS-style attack that occurred in New York in 2017, causing the death of 5 Argentines, responded: “The Argentine criminal legal system offers criminal justice several legal tools to investigate and, where appropriate, condemn the participation of the radicalization of violence proposed by ISIS, although they are not strictly oriented to criminalizing these acts. This shows that the Argentine legislator has been very precarious and erratic when it comes to organizing a consistent punitive response in terms of repression of terrorism and violent extremism.” And he added “Argentina must abandon the burden of progressive guarantees and reorient its criminal policy so that we have several criminal types of acts of terrorism, including that referring to participation in a radicalization program.”