The head of the CIA met with SIDE in Washington and will grant recognition to Argentine spies

In the midst of an international scenario marked by security cooperation and the fight against global threats, Argentina has once again positioned itself at the center of the hemispheric intelligence agenda. The United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) announced that it will grant institutional recognition to the staff of the State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE), after a private meeting held by the Secretary of Intelligence of Javier Milei's government, Cristian Auguadra , with the director of the American organization,

John Ratcliffe, in Washington D.C.

The meeting, which was presented as a historic event, took place at the headquarters of the CIA in the American capital.

There, Ratcliffe formally announced that the North American organization will award institutional recognition to Argentine agents in April, highlighting the performance of SIDE in recent joint operations and the professionalization process that is being carried out with the support of the United States.

As officially reported, the decision is also based on the creation of the National Anti-Terrorism Center (CNA), a structure promoted by the current government that, according to the evaluation of the U.S. government itself, constitutes a unique initiative in the region and an important step in the continental security strategy. The State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE) announced that this Tuesday the Secretary of Intelligence, Cristian Auguadra, held a private meeting with John Ratcliffe, director of the CIA. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the US organization located in Washington D.C., within the framework of an agenda focused on strategic cooperation and institutional strengthening.

In the statement released on the official account of X of the Argentine organization, it was indicated that during the meeting Ratcliffe formally notified his decision to institutionally recognize the staff of SIDE. As detailed, the measure responds to the results obtained in recent joint operations, the ongoing professionalization process and the implementation of the National Anti-Terrorism Center

.

The meeting also took place in the context of the first Meeting of the Americas, also held this Tuesday in Washington D.C., where regional policies related to the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering were discussed. Representatives from Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Paraguay, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Panama participated in that meeting, in a cooperation agenda that seeks to strengthen hemispheric security

.

According to information, the head of SIDE is considered a trusted man of the Caputo family, especially Claudio Caputo, father of presidential advisor Santiago Caputo. Auguadra was appointed to his position after the departure of Sergio Neiffert. Before taking over the management of the agency, he headed the Internal Affairs Division (DAI), where he was responsible for internal investigations and audits on the performance of agencies and their staff

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The official statement from SIDE

“City of Buenos Aires, March 24, 2026.- The Secretary of State Intelligence (SIDE) reports that today, in the city of Washington D.C., the Secretary of Intelligence, Cristian Auguadra, held a private meeting with the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John Ratcliffe, at the agency's headquarters in Langley. During the meeting, the Director of the CIA formally announced his decision to grant institutional recognition to SIDE personnel, which will be presented next April at the agency's headquarters. This recognition is based on the results obtained in recent joint operations, the ongoing professionalization process, and the creation of the National Anti-Terrorism Center (CNA), valued as a unique initiative in the region. In addition, today, the first Meeting for the Americas was also held in Washington D.C., with the participation of representatives from Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Paraguay, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Panama, in which policies against terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering were addressed

.”