The FBI notified Argentine authorities about social media posts by a 16‑year‑old from Caballito, prompting his arrest after federal police recovered replica firearms, knives, Molotov‑style bottles and notebooks with a detailed attack plan. Investigators say he posted neo‑Nazi symbols and referenced Anders Breivik and Brenton Tarrant, leading them to classify his views as extremist. A farewell letter was found and sources say some magazines were airsoft replicas; the teen is receiving treatment for depression. Judge María Romilda Servini has ordered a psychiatric evaluation and the case is filed as "public intimidation."
FBI Tip Leads to Arrest of 16-Year-Old in Buenos Aires Over Planned Attack at Former School
The FBI notified Argentine authorities about social media posts by a 16‑year‑old from Caballito, prompting his arrest after federal police recovered replica firearms, knives, Molotov‑style bottles and notebooks with a detailed attack plan. Investigators say he posted neo‑Nazi symbols and referenced Anders Breivik and Brenton Tarrant, leading them to classify his views as extremist. A farewell letter was found and sources say some magazines were airsoft replicas; the teen is receiving treatment for depression. Judge María Romilda Servini has ordered a psychiatric evaluation and the case is filed as "public intimidation."
22:23, 03.11.2025Security
FBI tip prompts arrest after detailed attack plan discovered
A 16-year-old boy from the Caballito neighborhood in Buenos Aires was arrested over the weekend by Argentina's Federal Police after the FBI office at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires alerted local authorities to social media posts in which he reportedly described plans to carry out an armed attack at his former school.
The investigation, supervised by Argentina's Ministry of National Security, began when the FBI forwarded a report to the Specialized Prosecutor's Unit on Cybercrime, according to La Nación. That report flagged a social media account that appeared to express intent to stage a school shooting, prompting Argentine judicial authorities to open an inquiry.
Extremist imagery and references: Investigators say the teenager shared neo‑Nazi symbols and messages, and referenced known mass killers such as Anders Breivik and Brenton Tarrant. Authorities have described his ideology as extremist.
Evidence recovered: During a search of the youth's home, security forces recovered replica firearms, knives, Molotov‑style bottles, ammunition and notebooks that contained a detailed plan for the attack, Clarín reported. Agents also found a written document outlining a scheme the boy intended to carry out this month, Reuters and Noticias Argentinas reported.
According to the seized document, the plan called for staging a threat at a nearby shopping mall to draw attention away, then entering the school while posing as a police officer, isolating students in classrooms and carrying out the shooting.
Authorities also seized a farewell letter that suggested the possibility of suicide. Messages from someone close to the teenager — which were submitted to the judge handling the case, María Romilda Servini — stated that the rifle and pistol magazines were replicas used in the recreational sport airsoft.
Sources indicated the boy is receiving psychological treatment for depression and was scheduled for tests this week to begin medication. Judge Servini has ordered a psychiatric evaluation of the youth and the case has been classified as "public intimidation" and filed with National Federal Criminal and Correctional Court No. 1.
What we know: The probe remains ongoing. Authorities cite social media monitoring and international cooperation — specifically the FBI tip — as crucial to preventing the planned attack. Local outlets reporting on the case include La Nación, Clarín and Noticias Argentinas.