Argentina's bungled hunt for Hitler's right-hand man Martin Bormann revealed in declassified files

FIRST ON FOX: Multiple documents released by Argentine President Javier Milei past twelvemonth uncover however Argentina’s hunt for Nazi warfare criminals, who recovered refuge successful the state during and aft the Second World War were capable to debar apprehension and, for the astir part, unrecorded mean lives.

While Argentina’s Peronist authorities sympathized and often knew of Nazi criminals hiding successful their territory – often nether their auspices – erstwhile the populist authorities fell, the South American federation half-heartedly tried to support tabs connected the war-criminals hiding there. 

Though portion galore high-profile cases went nowhere, the lawsuit of Hitler’s henchman Martin Bormann is exemplary successful showing however inefficient Argentina was successful its investigations.

ARGENTINA REVEALS SECRET WWII FILES ON HITLER'S HENCHMEN WHO FLED BEFORE, AFTER THE WAR

Hitler with Reichsleiter Martin Bormann (right) and Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop connected the grounds - Aug. 1943  (ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

Bormann was 1 of the astir almighty figures successful the Nazi regime, contempt his comparatively debased illustration successful the public. He utilized his presumption arsenic backstage caput to Hitler and caput of the Nazi Party Chancellery to power the travel of documents personally received by Hitler and who had entree to him.

Through tremendous administrative influence, helium shaped argumentation and controlled what Hitler saw, who helium met, and advised connected large decisions. Bormann supported utmost antisemitic measures and was 1 of the masterminds of the Aryanization project. Bormann disappeared successful May 1945 during the autumn of Berlin. For decades, it was speculated helium had fled to Argentina on the ratlines — flight routes facilitated by Nazi sympathizers. Bormann was sentenced to decease successful absentia during the Nuremberg Trials.

The files amusement that Bormann was 1 of the precise fewer Nazis the Argentinians actively tried to prosecute and bring to justice. However, astir of the leads came from sensationalist property articles often devoid of factual and actionable quality beyond the specified notation that helium was hiding successful Argentina.

The files meticulously picture quality agencies trying to corroborate specified reports and asseverate whether the floated mendacious aliases matched the existent antheral successful Argentina. Agencies followed accusation coming from reports successful the Argentine, U.S., British and Brazilian press, on with immoderate translations from German-language media published successful Argentina by the émigré assemblage who were suspected of harboring Nazi sympathizers.

The articles triggered extended insubstantial trails betwixt the ministry of justice, quality bodies, borderline and customs agencies, the national police, and section authorities, but were often disconnected from 1 another, oregon took a agelong clip to beryllium referred to the assorted sub-offices for action.

ARGENTINA REVEALS SECRET WWII FILES ON HITLER'S HENCHMEN WHO FLED BEFORE, AFTER THE WAR

Portrait of Martin Bormann, Nazi Party caput and backstage caput to Adolph Hitler.  (CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

As a result, aggregate akin searches were carried retired astatine assorted points haphazardly and a tangle of bureaucracy made authorities play drawback up to property reports alternatively than conducting autarkic and rational investigations. The files are a testament that the hunt for Nazis successful South America was shaped by rumor, miscommunication, mistaken identities, Cold War authorities and aggravated media speculation.

Some of the accusation reviewed by Fox News Digital showed authorities took rumors specified arsenic a hunt for Bormann successful the jungles of Peru, Colombia and Brazil arsenic credible. A lawsuit of an aged German antheral detained successful Colombia successful 1972 arsenic Bormann (later cleared and released) contempt voiced skepticism by Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal is besides portion of the files.

Partial Memo from the ministry of interior astir Walter Flegel's transgression grounds arsenic requested by authorities who were looking into the whereabouts of Martin Bormann. (General Archives of the Government of Argentina)

The diplomatic shockwaves that followed Israel’s Mossad seizing Adolf Eichmann successful Argentina near section officials acutely delicate to planetary scrutiny, recasting the hunt for Bormann arsenic a bid to guarantee the state would not beryllium embarrassed connected the satellite signifier a 2nd time.

A pivotal—and yet flawed—lead successful the Bormann files emerged successful 1955, erstwhile police, relying connected fading testimonies astir an amerciable German laborer, on with rumors, seized correspondence, and aging witnesses, began pursuing a antheral named Walter Wilhelm Flegel.

Mug changeable of Walter Wilhelm Flegel. (General Archives of the Government of Argentina)

Flegel had arrived done Chile, was missing an limb owed to an accident, and had been antecedently arrested and brought to tribunal doubly connected battle and robbery charges. Suspicions led to his apprehension successful Mendoza successful 1960 contempt his implicit dissemblance, deficiency of education, agelong beingness successful the country, property gaps and missing factual connections that could necktie him to Martin Bormann. Notwithstanding specified mismatching profiles — and fingerprints — it inactive took a week for Argentinians to beryllium convinced Flegel was not Martin Bormann and escaped him.

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Ultimately, contempt continued rumors, and Argentina’s singular resoluteness successful yet arresting 1 of the galore Nazi fugitives thought to beryllium successful the country, quality remains recovered successful Berlin successful 1972 were a lucifer and confirmed Bormann’s decease during the city’s autumn done dental and cranial records. Later, successful the 1990s, further DNA investigating confirmed the remains recovered successful Berlin so belonged to Bormann, bringing the misdirected Argentinian hunt yet to a close