Argentina dissolves U.S. military cargo plane dispute

Argentina dissolves U.S. military cargo plane dispute

2011-03-11 22:15:29 GMT+7 (ICT)

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (BNO NEWS) -- Argentine judge Marcelo Aguinsky dismissed charges against the U.S. after an American military aircraft was seized in the South American country for allegedly smuggling undeclared items, including weapons and surveillance equipment, local media reported Friday.

Argentina's Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez on Friday said the 'irregularities' detected in the U.S. military aircraft was 'customs fault,' which resulted in the judge determining that there was no crime.

In mid-February, a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft arrived in Argentina for a U.S.-backed training course for the country's Federal Police Special Operations Squad, but the South American country accused the U.S. of trying to smuggle equipment, including weapons and surveillance equipment, into the country.

Initial reports said the aircraft contained items that had not been submitted by previous approved documents despite U.S. officials insisting that all material within the cargo were for the training course, which was subsequently canceled.

During the dispute, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs Frank Mora said all of the material in the aircraft were communication equipment and weapons for the training, urging authorities to return them immediately.

After tensions rose, bilateral relations between the two countries have settled. However, President Barack Obama decided to exclude his upcoming Latin America visit later this month in which he will visit, El Salvador, as well as Argentine neighbors Chile and Brazil.

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