Buenos Aires, Jan. 9 (NA) – The Financial Information Unit (UIF) ordered the first asset freeze in Argentina for alleged financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as part of an investigation into individuals residing in the country. According to the Argentine News Agency (NA), the measure was issued through a resolution signed by the head of the body, Paul Starc, and constitutes an unprecedented event in Latin America. The UIF acted after receiving financial intelligence information from abroad, which was analyzed and expanded with its own investigation. With these elements, it was decided to preventively freeze assets administratively, while the investigation into possible links with international criminal organizations advances. This is the first time the body has applied a measure of this type since the enactment of Law 27.739, which in March 2024 incorporated the crime of Financing the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (FP) into the Argentine Penal Code. This regulation is framed within the commitments assumed by Argentina before the United Nations, which authorize the Security Council to impose mandatory sanctions when threats to international peace and security are identified. Among them, financial measures such as asset freezing are contemplated. Likewise, the standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) establish that countries must apply specific sanctions, such as the immediate freezing of funds, to prevent access to economic resources by persons or entities linked to FP. With this decision, the UIF strengthened the national prevention system and positioned itself among the few jurisdictions globally that have already adopted this type of measure.
