Argentina: Police Bust Terror Cell Planning Attacks Against Jewish Institutions

With all the reporting that we do about jihad and crime in Europe, let us not forget that South America is also being infected by the jihadist threat albeit to a lesser extent. 

Two days ago in Mendoza, Argentina, federal police arrested 7 members of an Islamist cell that was planning to carry out terrorist attacks against Jewish targets in Mendoza. At what point do we have to conclude that the jihadists are carrying out a worldwide war against Jews in general?

The below article from La Nacion (Argentina) is translated by Fousesquawk.

Note: DAIA (Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations)

PFA (Argentina Federal Police)

PFA operation. Seven members of a cell planning attacks against Jewish community arrested

The investigation began after a complaint from the DAIA regarding threats

16 August 2024 at 19:46

Caption: One of the suspects detained in Mendoza

Seven suspects were arrested in the last few hours in an anti-terrorist operation carried out by the Argentina Federal Police. According to official information, the arrestees were planning to “carry out separate attacks in Mendoza.”

The procedures were conducted by members of the Anti-Terrorist Investigation Unit of the Argentina Federal Police.

The Ministry of Security reported that “the investigation was initiated by a complaint from the Department of Community Assistance of the DAIA as a result of threats against a journalist in the Jewish community in Mendoza. In the first place, the agents of the Departmental Unit of Anti-Terrorist Investigation of the Superintendent of Federal Investigations first identified a man who carried out attacks and then were able to locate the rest of the radicalized Islamist group.”

Caption: (Police) arrested suspects planning attacks in Mendoza

-Ministry of Security

The (investigation) determined that these suspects had active participation in closed networks of the instant messaging services Telegram and WhatsApp, in which they spread messages with “anti-Christian and anti-Jewish expressions”. 

It was also established that in this exchange of messages, there existed the planning of attacks in Mendoza, as well as content connected to terrorist organizations like the Islamic State and the Taliban Emirate of Afghanistan.

“After carrying out criminal intelligence tasks, and the interdisciplinary work of the separate areas of the PFA, the identification of all the suspects was successful,” stated the Ministry of Security in a press release.

Caption: Weapons were found in the raids in Mendoza

Eight raids were ordered on the members’ residences, and they were detained at the Cristo Redentor border crossing and the International Airport of Ezeiza. As a result, a great quantity of firearms (shotguns, rifles, and revolvers), bladed weapons (knives, daggers, Japanese swords), electronic devices (cell phones, computers, game consoles), were seized, as well as literature of Salafist origin.

The case is being handled by the First Federal Court of Mendoza, headed by Marcelo Garnica with the participation of prosecutor Fernando Alcarez.