Newly Released Files Reveal Nazi "Angel of Death" Josef Mengele Lived Openly in Argentina Despite Authorities Knowing His Identity

Despite his horrific crimes being exposed during the Nuremberg trials, Josef Mengele successfully established a new identity and life abroad.

New Delhi:

Josef Mengele, the infamous Nazi doctor known as the "Angel of Death" for his sadistic experiments and role in selecting victims for gas chambers, lived openly in Argentina for years while authorities were fully aware of his true identity, according to newly declassified intelligence files.

The documents, released under Argentinian President Javier Milei's administration, reveal that local intelligence agencies tracked Mengele after his 1949 arrival in the country but repeatedly failed to apprehend him, as reported by Fox News.

A combination of political protection, bureaucratic indecision, and media leaks enabled one of history's most wanted war criminals to evade justice.

Mengele, who conducted deadly pseudo-medical procedures and tortured prisoners, particularly twins, entered Argentina using an Italian passport under the alias Helmut Gregor. Intelligence files confirm that by the mid-1950s, authorities were aware that the "Angel of Death" was residing within their borders.

Born in Gunzburg, Germany in 1911, Mengele pursued studies in medicine and anthropology before joining the Nazi Party in 1937 and the SS in 1938. He began working at Auschwitz in May 1943, where he determined which prisoners would be sent to forced labor camps and which would face immediate execution. He conducted gruesome experiments including surgeries without anesthesia, deliberate disease infections, and attempts to alter eye color through injections.

His name became emblematic of the horrors of Auschwitz and the atrocities that claimed over one million lives, predominantly Jews.

Despite the exposure of his crimes during the Nuremberg trials, Mengele established a new life in Argentina. Newly released records demonstrate that by 1956, he had even requested his original birth certificate from the West German Embassy in Buenos Aires and was openly using his real identity.

A 1957 intelligence memo noted Mengele appeared "nervous," stating, "He (Mengele) demonstrated being nervous, having stated that during the war he acted as a physician in the German SS, in Czechoslovakia, where the Red Cross labelled him a 'war criminal.'"

The files show Argentine agencies were aware he resided in Carapachay, outside Buenos Aires, and that he had married his brother's widow. Officials even documented a visit from his father.

Yet no arrest was executed. When West Germany issued an arrest warrant and requested extradition in 1959, an Argentine judge rejected it, claiming it stemmed from "political persecution."

As international pressure increased, Mengele fled to Paraguay, where he obtained citizenship. When authorities finally raided his Buenos Aires laboratory, he had already escaped. He later appeared in Brazil, protected by German expatriate farmers.

Mengele died in 1979 following a stroke while swimming near Bertioga, Brazil. Buried under a false identity, his remains were exhumed in 1985 and positively identified through forensic analysis. Today, his bones are utilized for forensic education at the University of Sao Paulo's Medical School.