Arrest Requests Filed in Argentina’s Expanding LIBRA Token Scandal Involving Milei Advisors

Argentina’s LIBRA scandal deepened this week as a plaintiff in the ongoing criminal investigation requested the immediate arrest of two close advisors to President Javier Milei. Martín Romeo, a crypto expert and plaintiff in the case, urged Federal Judge Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi to detain Mauricio Novelli and Manuel Terrones Godoy, alleging their involvement in irregular crypto transactions surrounding the February LIBRA token launch. Romeo warned the two pose flight risks, as Novelli holds Italian citizenship and Terrones Godoy has permanent residency in Mexico.

The congressional commission investigating the LIBRA scandal, led by Representative Maximiliano Ferraro, uncovered new evidence linking Novelli and Terrones Godoy to suspicious wallet activity. Exchanges including Binance and Gate.io confirmed that both held accounts that received significant USDT transfers before the token’s collapse. Romeo also traced transactions involving American investor Hayden Mark Davis, who transferred over $1 million in USDT following a meeting with President Milei at the Casa Rosada. Subsequent transfers allegedly directed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Novelli’s Binance wallet and to a private Argentine bank associated with the advisors.

Investigators are now examining whether cash stored in safety deposit boxes at a Galicia bank branch was linked to these transactions. Surveillance footage captured Novelli and family members accessing the boxes shortly before the LIBRA launch.

Adding to the controversy, congressional findings revealed that more than 1,300 Argentines purchased LIBRA through Ripio, contradicting Milei’s public claim that “no more than five” locals were affected. Critics accuse the president of downplaying the scandal, as both he and his sister Karina have failed to respond to official summonses to testify. With arrest requests pending and new wallet data emerging, the LIBRA investigation continues to place mounting pressure on the Milei administration.