Nazi Arsenal Discovered
Argentine Police Seize Nazi Uniforms and Weapons from Internet Seller's Home
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Buenos Aires provincial police seized a massive Nazi arsenal from the home of an online vendor on June 10, 2026, after he was caught selling Third Reich uniforms on Facebook Marketplace. The suspect, Diego Fernando Martinez, 46, was arrested at his home in Gerli, Avellaneda, where officers found floor tiles deliberately arranged to form swastikas, according to A24 and Billings Gazette.
Police recovered more than 40 Nazi insignias, SS hats, daggers, Wehrmacht jackets, and over 200 rounds of live ammunition. They also found five unregistered firearms, including pistols, revolvers, and a carbine rifle, according to La Voz.
Facebook Post Triggered Months-Long Police Investigation
The case began on April 8, 2026, when investigators spotted a suspicious Facebook Marketplace listing under the alias "Fernando Martinsohn." The post offered a Wehrmacht uniform and an SS cap featuring the Totenkopf — the Nazi "Death's Head" symbol — for sale, according to Reuters and Pagina 12.
Argentina's Counter-Terrorism Directorate launched a digital tracking operation. Over two months, agents traced the seller to his home in the southern suburbs of Buenos Aires, according to Diario Conurbano. Federal Judge Alberto Recondo issued a search warrant on June 9, citing Argentina's Anti-Discrimination Law.
Inside the Home: A Private Shrine to Nazi Ideology
When officers entered the home, they found more than just items for sale. The hallway floor tiles were arranged to form swastikas. Police described the home as both a warehouse and a private shrine, according to La Voz. Among the items seized were 2 SS officer hats, 2 engraved daggers, a Spanish copy of Mein Kampf, and a technical encyclopedia on Nazi uniforms.
The weapons cache made the case far more serious than a simple hate-speech matter. Officers confiscated 2 pistols in .22 and .25 caliber, 3 revolvers including two Colt .38 Long models, 1 carbine rifle, and more than 200 rounds of live ammunition. None of the firearms were registered, according to Diario Conurbano.
Argentina's Long, Troubled History With Nazi Fugitives
Argentina is not new to this problem. After World War II, the country became a destination for high-ranking Nazi fugitives — including Adolf Eichmann and Josef Mengele — via escape routes known as "ratlines," according to Al Jazeera. This history has left a persistent underground market for Third Reich relics and ideology.
Recent seizures show the problem is ongoing. In November 2024, police seized over 60 Nazi-marked firearms in Quilmes. In June 2017, a "secret room" in Beccar contained 75 high-end Nazi artifacts, including medical devices from racial experiments, according to JTA. In May 2025, President Javier Milei's government declassified over 1,800 files on Nazi escape networks, according to Buenos Aires Times.
Charges Filed, Jewish Groups Demand Museum Donation
Martinez faces two sets of charges. The first is under Law 23.592, Argentina's Anti-Discrimination Law, which carries one month to three years in prison for promoting Nazi ideology. The second — and potentially more serious — is illegal possession of high-caliber firearms, according to Pagina 12.
The DAIA, Argentina's main Jewish advocacy group, called on authorities to transfer the seized items to Buenos Aires' Holocaust Museum. Historians, including experts at the museum, argue the items should serve education rather than private glorification, according to Times of Israel. The case is also raising pressure on Meta to strengthen its algorithms banning Nazi symbols on Facebook Marketplace across Latin America.
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