ARGENTINA: FUGITIVE HACKER RETURNS TO ARGENTINA

S E C R E T BUENOS AIRES 000126 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2029 TAGS: PTER SNAR ASEC KCOR KFRD UY AR SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: FUGITIVE HACKER RETURNS TO ARGENTINA AND THREATENS TO TELL ALL Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d). ¶1. (U) Fugitive Argentine government employee or contractor Pablo Carpintero returned to Buenos Aires on February 3 and is in the custody of the Argentine Coast Guard (Prefectura). Carpintero and his fellow indictee, Ivan Velazquez, sought political asylum in Uruguay in May 2008 claiming to be the victims of an internal dispute in the Argentine State Secretariat for Intelligence (SIDE). They were the primary actors in a scandal regarding the hacking of the email accounts of prominent GOA officials, journalists, opposition politicians, Supreme Court judges, and show business celebrities. Velazquez -- previously arrested and paroled for a bribery charge for allegedly offering an Uruguayan official money in exchange for information on some of his Argentine accusers -- remains incarcerated in Uruguay under accusation of stealing an Uruguayan police arms registration database. ¶2. (U) According to "La Nacion," Carpintero and Velazquez are threatening to reveal SIDE secrets, to reveal for whom they worked (in their hacking activities) and to name who ordered their clandestine (hacking) operation. The February 3 "La Nacion" article implied Carpintero would reveal this information to federal Judge Arroyo Salgado, while Velazquez was revealing his version by publishing his autobiography chapter by chapter on the internet from his jail cell. Arroyo Salgado reportedly planned to advise Uruguayan justice officials of her intent to request the extradition of Velazquez, although post understood that the GOA had already requested his extradition from Uruguay. ¶3. (S) Comment: Post cautiously awaits Carpintero's version of events and local media reaction. Given Carpintero's and Velazquez's track record of erratic behavior and information peddling, their credibility should be weak with both the Argentine government and the public. Post is particularly concerned that Velazquez, who is reportedly publishing a serial memoir of his clandestine career online, and/or Carpintero will attempt to drag USG agencies through the mud in their fanciful accounting to judicial authorities or the press. They could easily alter their original story of being victims of a power struggle within SIDE to finger U.S. intelligence or law enforcement as the puppeteer, especially given their attempts to shop around their information here and in Uruguay. The situation bears close attention and public diplomacy preparedness. WAYNE