{"id":3146,"date":"2026-07-14T15:39:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T15:39:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=3146"},"modified":"2026-07-14T15:39:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T15:39:18","slug":"luxury-jets-yachts-and-miami-shell-firms-fbi-probes-argentina-soccer-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=3146","title":{"rendered":"Luxury jets, yachts and Miami shell firms: FBI probes Argentina soccer funds"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Argentina soccer team\u2019s recent successes and Lionel Messi\u2019s global popularity have led to an avalanche of brand deals, sponsorship offers and invites to play international friendlies for the Argentine Football Association, the country\u2019s soccer federation.<\/p>\n

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But as the storied team competes for its fourth World Cup title this year, there\u2019s a dark cloud hanging over its finances.<\/p>\n

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation for potential fraud and money laundering of tens of millions of dollars involving AFA\u2019s revenues through South Florida, sources with knowledge of the matter told the Miami Herald last week.<\/p>\n

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A network of Miami-Dade firms that received millions of dollars, despite appearing to lack clear business justification, plays a central role in the activities under scrutiny. The firms are likely shell companies \u2014 they have few or no employees and no apparent business activity, and some operate out of \u201cvirtual offices\u201d with no physical presence.<\/p>\n

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Federal investigators are probing whether the fund transfers ultimately went to top AFA leaders and their allies for personal use, the Herald has learned. The mysterious movements of money are the subject of at least one criminal proceeding in Argentina, according to court records filed in Georgia.<\/p>\n

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The revelations come as AFA\u2019s president, Claudio Tapia, and the soccer body\u2019s treasurer, Pablo Toviggino, are already under investigation in Argentina surrounding separate allegations that they misused AFA\u2019s Social Security contributions. An Argentine judge presiding over that case has imposed a travel ban on the two executives but has allowed Tapia to travel with the country\u2019s World Cup squad. They have denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n

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The Herald\u2019s reporting is based on interviews with law enforcement officials, court filings, and business and corporate records. The transactions the Herald has reviewed are likely not exhaustive and offer only a glimpse into the complex financial movements of AFA funds that took place from late 2021 through 2025.<\/p>\n

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AFA did not respond to the Herald\u2019s multiple requests for comment. The soccer body has not publicly addressed any of the allegations.<\/p>\n

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The money trail<\/h2>\n

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A month after Argentina won the Copa America in July 2021, Javier Faroni, an Argentine theater producer with no known experience of sports management, incorporated a Florida company called TourProdEnter, LLC.<\/p>\n

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The firm, operating until recently out of an office in Aventura, became, in December 2021, the AFA\u2019s commercial agent to arrange and collect revenue from international deals.<\/p>\n

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At least $290 million was deposited in its accounts at various financial institutions in the United States, including Bank of America, Citibank and JPMorgan Chase, a Herald analysis of banking records found.<\/p>\n

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The deposits reviewed by the Herald were made between November 2022 and August 2025.<\/p>\n

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Much of it was from broadcast deals, brand sponsorships and match profits.<\/p>\n

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The revenues are typically then distributed throughout the country\u2019s soccer system from clubs to academies and also used to pay the national squad and operations of AFA.<\/p>\n

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But TourProdEnter made a series of unusual payments totaling at least $40 million to other Miami companies, according to the records. Those payments are now being probed by the FBI.<\/p>\n

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Nearly $30 million went to six firms \u2014 Mafer Trading, LLC; Marmasch, LLC; Soagu Services, LLC; Velp, LLC; W Trading, LLC; and Tronador Import & Export, LLC \u2014 that list as their address a discreet two-story commercial building on Ives Dairy Road, southeast of Miami Gardens.<\/p>\n

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But in reality, they have no physical location. The Ives Dairy Road building offers \u201cvirtual offices\u201d for $80 a month. The companies are relatively new; five of the six were registered after March 2021. The fifth, W Trading, LLC, was incorporated in late 2018.<\/p>\n

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TourProdEnter sent a total of roughly $6 million to three other firms \u2014 Delker, Inc.; Seriva, Inc.; and Ikane, Inc., the records show. The three companies also list a virtual office address at a building in the city of Doral.<\/p>\n

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The Herald was not able to find any business activities by the nine companies through publicly available information. The Herald also could not find contact information for any of the executives listed in their corporate documents.<\/p>\n

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