FBI said to be investigating Argentine soccer federation finances
by Mar Puig · UPIJuly 8 (UPI) -- As Argentina advances in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, prosecutors with the U.S. Department of Justice and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation are said to be conducting a preliminary investigation into financial operations of the Argentine Football Association, or AFA, in the United States.
Investigators are seeking to determine how the AFA, led by President Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia, channeled more than $300 million through the U.S. financial system and whether some of those transactions may have constituted crimes under U.S. jurisdiction, including money laundering or bank fraud, according to investigations by CNN Brasil and Argentina's La Nación newspaper.
So far, no criminal charges have been announced against the AFA or any of its executives.
Federal prosecutors and FBI agents based in Washington and Miami have begun interviewing individuals with knowledge of the organization's international business operations.
CNN Brasil reported that U.S. authorities are investigating transactions carried out by the federation and the flow of funds through the country's banking system.
The investigation focuses on TourProdEnter LLC, a company owned by theater producer Javier Faroni and Erica Gillette, which in recent years managed the collection of the AFA's international commercial contracts with sponsors and other companies.
La Nación reported that the company managed at least $260 million in AFA revenue through accounts opened at Citibank, Synovus, Bank of America, JPMorgan and PNC Bank.
The newspaper added that another $57 million was transferred to various companies, whose transactions remain under review by investigators.
Among those who have reportedly already testified is businessman Guillermo Tofoni, who has been involved in a long-running dispute with the AFA leadership.
The reports also said the Department of Justice is considering calling former officials from the administration of President Javier Milei as witnesses because they may have had access to information related to the organization's financial operations.
According to the cited sources, the investigation began in 2025 and is being led by federal prosecutors Patrick Gushue and Christopher Ting in Washington and Michael Berger of the Southern District of Florida, who specialize in financial crimes.
La Nación reported that it contacted the Department of Justice about the status of the investigation but did not receive a response before publication.
Representing the AFA, Tomás Regalado, the organization's delegate for North America, defended the presumption of innocence during a forum on soccer, corruption and justice held last week in Miami.
"Investigative measures alone do not establish liability or guilt," Regalado said, according to La Nación.
The U.S. investigation is separate from the judicial case Tapia faces in Argentina over alleged tax irregularities related to social security contributions.
That case remains under the jurisdiction of the Argentine courts and is not part of the U.S. investigation.