CIA agents spent a decade searching for Hitler in South America even as evidence suggested the Nazi leader had committed suicide in his Berlin bunker in 1945.
Key Takeaways
- CIA documents reveal agents pursued leads about Hitler potentially living in South America for 10 years after his presumed death in Berlin
- A 1955 CIA document reported a claim that Hitler was living in Colombia under the alias “Adolf Schrittelmayor” with a photograph purportedly showing him
- An estimated 10,000 Nazis and fascist war criminals escaped prosecution by fleeing to Argentina and other Latin American countries using “ratlines”
- Argentina plans to declassify documents that may reveal extensive details about financial support and escape routes provided to Nazi fugitives
Post-War Intelligence Pursuit of Hitler
Declassified CIA files have revealed that American intelligence agents continued searching for Adolf Hitler in South America for a decade after his reported suicide. Despite the widely accepted account that Hitler and Eva Braun took their lives on April 30, 1945, in Berlin with their partially burned bodies later recovered by Soviet troops, the CIA maintained suspicions about this narrative. These documents demonstrate how seriously U.S. intelligence considered the possibility that the Nazi dictator might have escaped Europe using clandestine routes known as “ratlines” – networks established to help Nazi officials flee to sympathetic countries after World War II.
A particularly significant CIA document from 1945 identified a possible hideout for Hitler at a spa hotel in La Falda, Argentina. This location was owned by known Nazi supporters who maintained connections with the Third Reich. The document noted the hotel owners’ loyalty to Hitler’s regime, stating: “This voluntary support of the Nazi party was never forgotten by Hitler.” This connection made the property a plausible refuge for high-ranking Nazi officials seeking sanctuary after the war, fitting a pattern of Nazi sympathizers in Argentina providing safe haven for war criminals.
CIA files reveal search for Hitler in South America 10 years after his suicide as Argentina prepares to release classified docs on Nazi fugitives https://t.co/MFWqpGfIqC pic.twitter.com/Ek2vNBCMxC
— New York Post (@nypost) April 9, 2025
“Adolf Schrittelmayor” and the Colombian Connection
Perhaps the most intriguing lead emerged in a 1955 CIA document reporting a claim by former Nazi SS soldier Phillip Citroen that Hitler was alive in Colombia. According to this report, Hitler was living under the alias “Adolf Schrittelmayor”. The document included a photograph allegedly showing Hitler seated next to Citroen in Tunja, Colombia.
Despite the provocative nature of these claims, CIA headquarters ultimately determined that further pursuit would yield little concrete evidence. The agency concluded: “enormous efforts could be expended on this matter with remote possibilities of establishing anything concrete. Therefore, we suggest that this matter be dropped.” After 1955, available CIA records show no further serious investigations into Hitler’s possible survival, effectively ending the decade-long intelligence pursuit of the Nazi leader in South America.
Argentina’s Nazi Haven and Upcoming Document Release
While Hitler’s escape remains unproven, Argentina undeniably served as a refuge for thousands of Nazi war criminals. Approximately 10,000 Nazis and fascist collaborators fled to Argentina and neighboring countries following World War II. Notable figures included Adolf Eichmann, one of the primary architects of the Holocaust, who was eventually captured by Israeli agents in Buenos Aires in 1960. Josef Mengele, the infamous “Angel of Death” of Auschwitz, also escaped to South America, evading justice until his death in Brazil in 1979.
Current Argentine President Javier Milei has announced plans to declassify government files on Nazi fugitives who found refuge in the country. These documents may provide unprecedented insight into the extent of institutional support these war criminals received. The forthcoming release promises to detail financial transactions, property acquisitions, and the mechanisms of escape routes that facilitated their evasion of justice. This declassification could finally expose the networks of collaborators who helped notorious war criminals build new lives while escaping accountability for atrocities committed during the Holocaust.
