Man arrested with fake "Vatican Liaison" credential in security operation for Pope Leo XIV
Tomás Natenzon, 25, was arrested in Buenos Aires carrying a forged credential as he attempted to infiltrate the security operation for the Pope's arrival. A legally registered Bersa 9mm pistol and communication equipment were found at his residence.
Man detained with fake Vatican credentials in papal security operation in Buenos Aires
Tomás Eduardo Natenzon, 25, was arrested on Sunday by the Buenos Aires City Police accused of infiltrating the welcoming operation for Pope Leo XIV. According to infobae.com, he was riding a Kawasaki motorcycle at 10:30 in the morning along Avenida Del Libertador and Kennedy, metres away from the United States Embassy and the main event venue.
At the time of his detention, Natenzon was wearing around his neck a credential bearing his photograph and the words "VATICAN LIAISON ACCESS LEVEL 1", which was clearly of homemade fabrication. He was also carrying a forged transit authorisation, and his motorcycle's registration plate was falsified to appear to belong to an official vehicle. Four radio communication devices were found on his person.
Search and seizure of items
Hours after his arrest, federal judge María Romilda Servini ordered the Argentine Federal Police (PFA) to search the detainee's residence in Buenos Aires. The search operation, which was ongoing at the time the original report was filed, uncovered a legally registered Bersa 9-millimetre pistol, computers, at least one additional credential, and a certificate related to a mental health condition filed seven years earlier and never renewed, according to judicial sources consulted by infobae.com. Several telephone and communication devices were also seized.
Servini charged Natenzon with the crimes of falsification of public documents and public intimidation. She also ordered his incommunicado detention and assigned the search to the PFA's Anti-Terrorism Unit Department. Prosecutor Carlos Rívolo is involved in the case.
Connection to firefighters and telecommunications
Natenzon had presented himself to officers as a volunteer firefighter at the Vuelta de Rocha station in the La Boca neighbourhood. The hypothesis being pursued by investigators is that he used a fake credential to pass himself off as personnel assigned to the Vatican's security operation.
Months before his detention, the suspect gave an interview to the Living the News Digital programme, where he was presented as a third officer from the same station. On that occasion, he recounted how he had joined the fire service at age 15, motivated by his interest in communications. Over time, he said, he specialised in radio systems and incident command, and participated in developing a communications network for various Buenos Aires fire stations.
"Handy kid, they called me," he recalled when referring to the bullying he suffered during his adolescence for always carrying a radio device, even at school. This detail is relevant because at the time of his capture, he was carrying four of these devices.
His interest in telecommunications was also reflected in his commercial activity: according to infobae.com's findings, Natenzon has been registered with ARCA since October 2021 in sectors linked to the sale of telephone and communication equipment, as a dependent worker in two companies in the sector.
According to this outlet's investigation, the detainee's name does not appear in first or second instance court rulings, nor in Buenos Aires local or federal court proceedings.
Second arrest for threats against the Pope
Natenzon's arrest follows that of Damián Avelino Giles, a mason from Villa Rosa in the Pilar area, who was detained for making threats against the Holy Father through the emergency services line 911. The PFA's Federal Investigations Superintendence searched his residence and seized three mobile phones and a drone. An analysis by the same force's Cybercrime unit determined that the threatening call came from one of those devices, according to sources in the case. The case is also being handled by federal courts, under the charge of making threats.
No other arrests for federal crimes were recorded in the framework of the operation for the papal visit.
Source: Google News AR — Crime