Supreme Court Confirms Extradition to Brazil of 'Biggest Arms Smuggler' and His Wife, a Former Model

Argentina's Supreme Court has confirmed the extradition of Diego Dirisio, a businessman described as "South America's largest arms trafficker," and his wife, former Paraguayan model Julieta Nardi Aranda, to Brazil. The couple faces charges related to large-scale arms trafficking operations valued at $230 million.

Dirisio and Nardi Aranda were apprehended in Córdoba, Argentina, in February 2024 by Interpol detectives. They had been fugitives since November 2023, having disappeared from their home in Asunción, Paraguay. Their arrest followed "Operation Dakovo," a joint Paraguayan and Brazilian investigation targeting the illicit arms trade, which had already led to the detention of 12 suspects and the seizure of a significant arsenal in Paraguay.

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The judges Horacio Rosatti, Carlos Rosenkratz and Ricardo Lorenzetti analyzed the appeals presented by the defenses of Dirisio and Nardi Aranda, which spoke of judicial persecution motivated by political reasons, and also by the Attorney General's Office, which requested confirmation of the extradition. In their ruling, the Supreme Court ordered the confirmation of the sentence that gives the green light to the extradition. Now the final decision is in the hands of the Executive Branch.

Authorities suspect that weapons smuggled into Paraguay were ultimately destined for powerful Brazilian criminal organizations, including the First Capital Command (PCC) and Comando Vermelho. The investigation revealed that Dirisio allegedly operated through legal channels in Paraguay, importing vehicles and later shifting to the arms business. He reportedly imported weapons legally from Turkey, Serbia, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia.

However, the operation's legality was compromised by alleged multi-million dollar bribes paid to military officials who oversaw Paraguay's Directorate of War Material (Dimabel). These weapons, with altered serial numbers, were then channeled to criminal groups. According to Paraguayan prosecutor Fabiola Molas, Dirisio acquired approximately 43,000 weapons worth around $240 million between 2021 and 2023 through his company, International Auto Supply SA. The Supreme Court's decision now awaits final approval from the Executive Branch.

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The business was not the supply of weapons to the legal market locally, but rather the final destination of the weapons were the Brazilian criminal groups.