FBI seizes AFA President’s phone at JFK Airport as U.S. probes $300million in soccer contracts

— In a dramatic scene at John F. Kennedy International Airport, FBI agents detained Argentine Football Association (AFA) president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia and several senior officials moments before they were set to board a charter flight back to Buenos Aires following Argentina’s World Cup final loss to Spain.

The operation, which delayed the departure of Aerolíneas Argentinas flight AR1971 by over two hours, saw federal agents escort Tapia and marketing head Leandro Petersen to a private terminal area where they were informed their phones and electronic devices were being confiscated. Multiple AFA officials had their computers and cell phones seized.

Investigation Centers on $300 Million in Contracts

The seizure is part of a wider US Department of Justice investigation into more than $300 million in AFA-linked commercial contracts. Federal prosecutors Patrick Gushue, Christopher Ting, and Michael Berger are scrutinizing the financial structure behind sponsorship deals, friendly matches, and television rights for Argentina’s national team.

At the center of the probe is TourProdEnter LLC, a Miami-based company that serves as the AFA’s exclusive commercial agent for international contracts. Investigators suspect the company received millions from AFA sponsors without properly documenting the funds in financial reports. The investigation is also examining four luxury properties worth over $11 million in South Florida purchased by TourProdEnter’s operator, Javier Faroni, and his wife.

Tapia, treasurer Pablo Toviggino, Faroni, and Diego Lucero have been ordered to appear before the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida on July 30.

AFA Denies Detention, Acknowledges Third-Party Probe

The AFA issued a statement calling reports of detention “completely untrue” and denying that phones were seized. However, the association conceded that a US court summons had been issued—not to Tapia or Toviggino directly, but to an unnamed third party, ordering them to produce documents and communications involving multiple AFA officials.

The FBI has declined to comment.

Mounting Legal Pressure at Home and Abroad

The US investigation follows growing legal scrutiny in Argentina. Three months ago, a judge formally charged the AFA, Tapia, and other senior officials with tax evasion. Argentine courts are also investigating the purchase of a $17 million property suspected of belonging to treasurer Toviggino through frontmen.

Tapia, who has led the AFA since 2017, has had strained relations with President Javier Milei’s administration, particularly over Milei’s push to privatize football clubs.

For now, the AFA president and his colleagues face a July 30 court date in Florida—and the prospect of their seized devices exposing the inner workings of Argentine football’s international finances.