The name of Facundo Leal burst onto the political and judicial agenda after a series of raids carried out in the City of Buenos Aires and Mendoza led to his arrest and in the kidnapping of more than $2.4 million in cash, plus cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, documentation, electronic devices and other items that were under analysis by Justice. The case acquired a national dimension not only due to the volume of money found, but also due to the profile of the accused: an official who managed to remain in strategic positions in the State for almost two decades, going through administrations of different political stripes and building an extensive network of business and political ties.
A lawyer from Mendoza, with training in Economic Law, Leal began his career in organizations linked to transportation and civil aviation before establishing himself within the structure of the Argentine Satellite Solutions Company (ARSAT). He landed in the organization accompanied by the former governor of Mendoza Rodolfo Gabrielli, one of the historical figures of Cuyo Peronism. From there, a process of accumulation of technical and political power began that allowed it to survive successive changes of government and become an influential figure within strategic areas linked to telecommunications, connectivity and transportation.
His rise reached a climax when He was appointed president of ARSAT during the management of Alberto Fernandez. Later, under the government of Javier Milei, was summoned to lead the Regulatory Body of the National Airport System (ORSNA), in charge of supervising the Argentine airport network. His continuity in positions of high responsibility during ideologically opposed administrations fueled the image of an official with strong political support and an important capacity for articulation within the state structure.
The judicial investigation that has him detained today originated from a case linked to the alleged theft of high-value technological equipment belonging to ARSAT. However, as the expert reports and evidentiary measures progressed, investigators began to detect possible irregularities in contracts and awards made during his administration. This line of work led to a series of simultaneous raids that ended up exposing assets and a quantity of cash that caught the attention of investigators and opened new hypotheses linked to alleged illicit enrichment, money laundering and possible acts of corruption.
During the procedures carried out in an apartment in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo and in properties in Mendoza, investigators found more than 2.4 million dollars, money in different foreign currencies, synthetic drugs, cocaine, ketamine, scales, fractionation bags, computers, cell phones and documentation considered relevant to the case. The discovery of prohibited substances also generated new lines of investigation parallel to the main cause.
Various provincial media linked him with leaders who held relevant positions within national organizations and with important business leaders. Among the names mentioned is that of the businessman José Luis Manzano, historic political operator linked to Menemism and one of the most influential men in the business world in the province of Cuyo. Although so far there are no judicial charges against Manzano in this case, different sources highlighted that Leal moved in circles of power where businessmen and officials linked to the energy and media sectors coincided.
The controversy also reached their sworn statements. According to the documentation presented to the Anti-Corruption Office when he served as head of ORSNA, Leal reported assets that showed sustained growth between 2020 and 2025. In his last presentation he declared seven properties located in Mendoza, among which were four apartments and two houses, in addition to land. He also recorded the ownership of a truck Volkswagen Amarok Black Style V6 acquired in 2022 and a UTV-type recreational utility vehicle. To this he added shares in a sole proprietorship, bank deposits, cash and other assets.
However, while the sworn statements reflected a significant asset expansion based mainly on real estate, business activities and accounting revaluations, the magnitude of the seized cash raised questions about the origin of these funds and possible unreported assets. This discrepancy constitutes one of the central axes of the judicial investigation that keeps the former official detained and that threatens to spread to other actors in his political and business environment.
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