President Javier Milei announced on Thursday that he would send a bill to Congress to strengthen sanctions against companies that exploit natural resources or provide services in the Falkland Islands without Argentine authorization. ^[1] Argentina has existing legal frameworks from 2011 and 2013 that establish bans on operating in the country, economic fines, asset seizures, and prison sentences for unauthorized hydrocarbon exploration or exploitation. ^[2] Law 26.659, enacted in 2011, prohibits exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons on the Argentine continental shelf without national authorization. ^[3] Law 26.915, enacted in 2013, incorporated criminal penalties including prison sentences of five to ten years for unauthorized exploration and ten to fifteen years for illegal extraction, transport, or storage. ^[4] Law 26.659, sanctioned in 2011, mandates that hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation in the Argentine continental shelf require national authorization. ^[5] The Sea Lion project, a joint venture between Rockhopper Exploration and Navitas Petroleum, plans to begin hydrocarbon production in 2028 in waters near the Malvinas/Falklands archipelago. ^[6] Violations of Law 26.659 can result in operational bans in Argentina for five to 20 years and the revocation of domestic hydrocarbon concessions. ^[7]