The verdict resolves the criminal case stemming from an operation conducted in December 2024 at the Brazil-Paraguay border crossing. Customs authorities discovered that Kueider and Guinsel were carrying more than US$200,000, along with Argentine pesos and Paraguayan guaraníes, without filing the required customs declaration. The sum significantly exceeded the legal limit for undeclared cash. Kueider, who was serving as a senator for Entre Ríos at the time, was stopped for a routine check on the triple border between Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. He was unable to justify the source of the funds to customs officials.
Kueider was expelled from the Argentine Senate in early 2025 following his arrest. The Upper House voted 60 to 6, with one abstention, to remove him from Congress. The expulsion was based on the constitutional provision allowing the removal of lawmakers for “physical or moral incapacity” that arises after the term begins. As a sitting senator, Kueider enjoyed legal immunity, or *fueros*, which prevented his arrest unless he was caught committing a crime in flagrante delicto. The Senate’s vote stripped him of this protection, allowing Argentine authorities to proceed with legal actions against him.
While the Paraguayan court convicted Kueider of smuggling, he maintains his innocence. Before the verdict was announced, he told the court that he had not committed a crime and insisted the money had a lawful origin. He stated, “There is no reason to apologize for a crime I did not commit,” arguing that his conduct did not fit the criminal offense for which he was prosecuted. Neither Kueider nor Guinsel testified during the trial. Both have remained under house arrest in Paraguay for the past year and a half, a period that will be credited toward their sentences if the conviction becomes final.
Legal proceedings against Kueider continue in Argentina, where the scope of the investigation is broader. Argentine Federal Judge Sandra Arroyo Salgado has indicted Kueider and Guinsel on allegations of money laundering, specifically related to the purchase of six apartments in a luxury residential building in Asunción. The judge has also requested Kueider’s extradition from Paraguay. Paraguayan authorities have approved the extradition request, but its execution is currently pending until Argentina’s Supreme Court resolves a jurisdictional dispute.
Kueider faces additional investigations in Argentina for alleged illicit enrichment. Inquiries are active in Concordia, in his home province of Entre Ríos, and in San Isidro, Buenos Aires province. In a recent development, the Federal Court of Appeals in San Isidro rejected Kueider’s request for immunity from pretrial detention. This ruling means he could be taken into custody immediately upon his return to Argentina if the extradition is carried out. The case has generated significant political controversy in Argentina, with critics from both the ruling coalition and the opposition accusing Kueider of using his position for personal gain, while Kueider’s defenders argue that due process is being compromised by political maneuvering.
The sentence in Paraguay is subject to appeal. Until the conviction becomes final and the extradition process is resolved, Kueider remains under the jurisdiction of Paraguayan courts. The case highlights the complex legal interplay between national legislatures, border enforcement, and international judicial cooperation in addressing cross-border financial crimes.
