 The legality of the sinking of "General Belgrano" has been disputed due to disagreement on the exact nature of the Maritime Exclusion Zone (MEZ) and whether "General Belgrano" had been returning to port at the time of the sinking.Through a message passed via the Swiss Embassy in Buenos Aires to the Argentine government nine days before the sinking, the UK made clear that it no longer considered the exclusion zone as the limit of its military action.On 1 May 1982, Admiral Juan Lombardo ordered all Argentine naval units to seek out the British task force around the Falklands and launch a "massive attack" the following day.