The mysterious landing of the U.S. Embassy's twin-engine "Águila 5" plane at the Río Grande airport in Tierra del Fuego has escalated to parliamentary level, sparking a heated debate over sovereignty and alleged geostrategic interference in the far south of the country.

After the official secrecy surrounding the reason for the flight, which took place between October 6 and 7, a political outcry was not long in coming. National Senator for Tierra del Fuego, Pablo Daniel Blanco , announced that he will formally request information to unravel the purpose of the visit. This action follows the request for explanations already being processed by the San Juan legislature regarding the same plane, and the recent presentation by three National Deputies from Mendoza who are also demanding answers.

Senator Blanco: "Our skies are a liberated zone"

Senator Pablo Daniel Blanco was categorical in referring to the silence surrounding the flight of the Beechcraft B-200 “Hurón” (registration 60I68) of the U.S. Air Force (USAF).

"It seems that the Yankees, with the approval of the national government and the complicity of the provincial government, have decided to open a branch of the Bermuda Triangle at the southern tip of the continent," Blanco said, adding that "in Argentina, there cannot and should not be secret flights."

The legislator's main suspicion centers on the LeoLabs radar in Tolhuin . Blanco , who was one of the first to denounce the presence of the British-owned radar in the province, suggested that the aircraft had "no other reason than a technical visit to see its condition and quickly put it at the service of American interests."

The senator went further, criticizing the current administration's foreign policy: "I believe this incident is further evidence of the sham foreign policy pursued by the libertarian government, which is capable of surrendering sovereignty for a handful of dollars." He also argued that the national government would be "paying for Trump's financial assistance by allowing the United States an ever-increasing presence and interference in our territory," with the ultimate goal of establishing a military base in the area.

He also attacked the authorities of Tierra del Fuego, accusing Governor Gustavo Melella of "playing dumb, looking the other way, and allowing these things."

From San Juan to Tierra del Fuego: The secret agenda of the "Águila 5"

The presence of the "Águila 5" in Río Grande occurs in a context of strong questioning in the province of San Juan , where the same aircraft had landed the previous week in the Pampa del Leoncito, a nature reserve and provincial historical site .

In San Juan, the controversy arose from the unconventional landing in a protected area and reports linking the flight to tensions over the possible installation of the Chinese-Argentine radio telescope . Justicialist deputies requested detailed reports on the crew, passengers, and the flight's objectives, despite the provincial government's claim that it was a request from the Embassy for a meeting with the Mining Ministry and that ANAC had authorized the landing .

The director of San Juan Air Force attempted to downplay the incident, suggesting it was merely "routine practice" and "terrain reconnaissance" for new USAF crews. However, the subsequent secret appearance in Río Grande , an area of extreme geostrategic value due to its proximity to the Beagle Channel and Antarctica , reinforced the hypothesis of a specific, unreported technical-military mission .

Concern spreads to Mendoza

In addition to the requests for information submitted by Senator Blanco and the San Juan representatives, there are those of three National Representatives from Mendoza , which demonstrate that concern over the activity of unreported foreign aircraft in national territory has become an issue on the federal agenda.

The coordinated action of legislators from different provinces and political blocs underscores the institutional seriousness of the incident, demanding that the National Government, through ANAC and the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs, provide explanations for the actions of the diplomatic-military aircraft at two key locations in Argentina in less than a week.

The mystery of "Águila 5" and its unofficial itinerary remains unanswered, but parliamentary pressure is intensifying, seeking to determine whether this is a violation of sovereignty or a "branch of the Bermuda Triangle" tolerated by the State.