Media reports have revealed that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Justice have launched investigations into the financial operations of the Argentine Football Association (AFA). The probe focuses on multimillion-dollar financial transfers processed through U.S. banks, amid suspicions of violations that may fall under U.S. jurisdiction over financial crimes.
According to the Argentine newspaper La Nación, federal prosecutors have begun interviewing several individuals regarding how the AFA managed its financial transactions within the United States. Investigators are seeking to trace funds that moved through the U.S. banking system and determine whether any of those transactions involved criminal conduct.
The report states that investigators are examining how the AFA, under the leadership of Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, managed its financial activities in the United States, how hundreds of millions of dollars were transferred through American financial institutions, and whether those transactions involved potential offenses such as money laundering or financial fraud.
Hearings and Expanded Investigation
La Nación reported that businessman Guillermo Tofoni was among the key figures who provided testimony during a virtual hearing held last week via a Zoom-like platform, which lasted approximately three hours.
The session included federal prosecutors and FBI agents based in Washington and Miami. Discussions centered on the nature of the AFA’s financial transactions and whether they involved violations related to money laundering or bank fraud through the U.S. financial system.
The newspaper added that investigators are continuing to identify witnesses with direct knowledge of the AFA’s management during the tenure of President Claudio Tapia and Vice President Pablo Toviggino. Authorities are also reviewing the role of Tour Broad Inter LLC, a company owned by theater producer Javier Faroni, which handled the collection of revenues generated from the AFA’s international commercial agreements.
The investigative team is also considering summoning former officials from the administration of Argentine President Javier Milei who had access to information regarding the AFA’s financial operations or were involved in supervising or overseeing them in recent years.
Tracing the Flow of Funds Through U.S. Banks
According to the report, the preliminary U.S. investigation began taking shape in 2025 and is being led by three federal prosecutors: Patrick Gouchou and Christopher Ting in Washington, along with Michael Berger in the Southern District of Florida.
From the outset, prosecutors focused on the activities of Tour Broad Inter LLC after it became responsible for collecting revenues from sponsorship agreements and other commercial contracts signed by the AFA.
Investigators are attempting to reconstruct the complete flow of funds managed by Javier Faroni and his wife, Erica Gillet, through the U.S. financial system in order to determine the nature of those transfers and identify their beneficiaries.
Documents reviewed by La Nación indicate that the company managed at least $260 million in AFA revenues through accounts held at five U.S. banks. Only a portion of those funds appeared to be linked to clearly documented operating expenses of the association.
According to the investigation, approximately $57 million was transferred to various companies and beneficiaries without clear economic justification, prompting investigators to scrutinize the purpose of those transactions.
The records also indicate that millions of dollars were transferred to companies reportedly providing no actual services in exchange for the payments, while some of those companies were allegedly owned by individuals receiving government social assistance, according to documents reviewed by the newspaper.
The documents further revealed transfers to two companies linked to Pablo Toviggino and several members of his family, in addition to payments benefiting his partner and relatives of a man described as the Argentine national team’s “spiritual mentor.”
The newspaper noted that U.S. authorities first became interested in the case in September 2024, when Argentina’s Ministry of Security shared information with American officials regarding suspicions surrounding the AFA. At the time, the FBI reportedly concluded that the available evidence was insufficient to open a criminal investigation. However, the inquiry later expanded following the emergence of additional information and documentation.
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Author: Counselor Faisal Al-Mutairi
Publication Date: July 9, 2026
Last Updated: July 2026
