Argentina's Milei Reshapes Intelligence Services, Granting New Powers and Sparking Controversy

President Milei Enacts Sweeping Intelligence Reform

President Javier Milei has initiated a significant overhaul of Argentina's intelligence apparatus through the issuance of an emergency decree, Decree 941/2025. Signed on December 31, 2025, and published on January 2, 2026, the decree restructures the country's intelligence system, renaming the former Federal Intelligence Agency (AFI) to the State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE). This marks the second major reform of the intelligence system under Milei's presidency, following an earlier decree in July 2024 that also granted the agency more power and resources. The move has ignited considerable debate and concern among opposition sectors regarding potential overreach and the expansion of state surveillance capabilities.

Expanded Powers and Structural Reorganization

The new decree grants intelligence agents unprecedented authority, notably the power to apprehend individuals. This power can be exercised in specific circumstances, such as during intelligence activities, in cases of flagrant crimes, or upon judicial request, as well as when protecting facilities, assets, or personnel. Historically, such arrest powers were reserved exclusively for police and military police forces. The decree mandates that agents must immediately notify federal security forces following any apprehension.

Furthermore, the reform stipulates that all intelligence activities will now be considered 'covert,' a measure that critics argue will deepen secrecy and reduce transparency. The intelligence apparatus will report directly to the General Secretariat of the Presidency, headed by the President's sister, Karina Milei. Other key structural changes include:

• Centralization of military and criminal intelligence to eliminate institutional fragmentation.
• Termination of the National Directorate of Strategic Military Intelligence, with its functions reverting to the Joint Armed Forces' Command Chief of Staff.
• Separation of Cyber-intelligence (offensive monitoring under SIDE) from Cybersecurity (defensive protection), with the latter managed by a new, decentralized National Cybersecurity Center under Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni.
• Emphasis on 'Counterintelligence Security Measures' across the entire National Public Sector, making heads of all government agencies responsible for their implementation.
• Authorization for SIDE to request the armed forces to perform interior intelligence tasks.
• The creation of new internal divisions, including the Argentine Intelligence Service (SIA), National Counterintelligence Agency (ANC), and Federal Cyberintelligence Agency (AFC).

Concerns Over Potential Overreach and Lack of Congressional Debate

The decree has been met with strong criticism from various opposition parties and civil society groups. Opponents, including deputies from Coalición Cívica, Provincias Unidas, and Encuentro Federal, have voiced concerns that the expanded powers could transform SIDE into a 'political police' force. Critics argue that such a fundamental reform of the National Intelligence Law (Law 25,520) should have been subject to extensive debate and approval in Congress, rather than being enacted unilaterally via an emergency decree, especially during the legislative recess.

Peronist lawmaker Jorge Taiana warned that the decree could lead to a 'police state' and infringe upon citizens' rights. Socialist lawmakers have labeled the decree a tool for 'political espionage,' citing ambiguous definitions of national security threats. Concerns also extend to the decree's provision for the military to engage in internal security tasks, a move that some see as a dangerous regression from democratic principles established after the country's last dictatorship. Additionally, the decree allows SIDE to share personal data with foreign agencies without judicial authorization and requires over 15 public agencies to share citizens' personal data with SIDE, raising fears of mass surveillance and a lack of oversight.

Government's Rationale for Modernization

The Milei administration justifies these reforms as essential for modernizing Argentina's intelligence system to effectively counter 'high-intensity' global threats, including cyber-warfare and organized crime. According to government statements, the aim is to eliminate institutional fragmentation, provide the President with 'timely and verifiable' strategic intelligence, and 'limit, define and clarify' the structure and powers of the agency. Authorities also state that the counterintelligence tasks outlined in the decree are intended to protect the Argentine state against intelligence actions, espionage, or interference by external agents.