Man Arrested Near Pope Leo XIV's Event in Buenos Aires with Fake Credentials

A 25-year-old man was arrested on Sunday morning in Buenos Aires after attempting to infiltrate the security perimeter surrounding the central stage for Pope Leo XIV's visit. The suspect, identified in reports as Tomás Eduardo Natenzon, was intercepted by city police around 10:30 a.m. near the intersection of Avenida Del Libertador and John F. Kennedy, close to the United States Embassy and the main papal stage in the Palermo neighborhood.

During the security check, the suspect was riding a Kawasaki motorcycle and presented a circulating authorization that authorities later determined to be fake. According to investigators, he also displayed a homemade credential hanging from his neck that read "Vatican Link Level 1 Access" and carried a license plate designed to mimic an official government vehicle. In addition, officers found four communication devices in his possession.

Federal Judge María Romilda Servini ordered the suspect to be held in isolation and charged him with public intimidation and the falsification of public documents. The Federal Police's Anti-Terrorism Department subsequently searched his apartment, where investigators seized computers, credentials, an unrenewed mental health certificate, and a legally registered 9-millimeter Bersa pistol.

While initial reports described him as a fake volunteer firefighter, local sources noted that Natenzon had previously presented himself publicly as a member of the Vuelta de Rocha fire station in La Boca and had completed radio operator courses certified by the Federal Police. Commercial records indicate he has operated in communications and telephony sales since 2021, and family sources mentioned he has Asperger's syndrome.

The security deployment for Pope Leo XIV involves an unprecedented mobilization of more than 19,000 personnel, including medical staff, traffic agents, and police officers. The protection plan utilizes three concentric security rings, featuring the Swiss Guard and Vatican Gendarmerie for immediate custody, federal security forces in the second cordoning layer, and thousands of urban police officers patrolling the outer perimeter.

In a separate incident during the papal visit, authorities arrested a 349-year-old [sic] construction worker named Damián Avelino Giles in Pilar after he allegedly made threats against the Supreme Pontiff through a 911 call. Federal investigators searched his home, confiscating three mobile phones and a drone, with cybercrime analysis tracing the threatening call back to his equipment.

Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV delivered his first address in Argentina at the Libertad Palace, meeting with President Javier Milei, national authorities, and the diplomatic corps. The Pontiff focused his remarks on social and economic conditions, emphasizing that the economy must serve individuals rather than people serving the economy, while also calling for democratic coexistence, enhanced opportunities for youth, and support for struggling families.