Liam Payne speaks to hotel employee accused of drug delivery, video shows

Liam Payne sought out the hotel employee accused of supplying him with drugs very shortly before his death … and their interaction is captured in this newly discovered surveillance footage.

TMZ has exclusively obtained the video, which shows Liam briefly stepping out of an elevator in the basement of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires… chatting with one of the 3 people charged in connection with his death.

Our sources at the hotel tell us the employee shaking hands and chatting with Liam in the video Ezequiel David Pereyra … a bellboy at the hotel who police say delivered drugs to Liam in a soap box. Although the police have not yet confirmed that it is Pereyra in this video, we do know that they have the footage.

The video was recorded around 14:04 … about 3 hours before Liam fell to death from the balcony of his third-floor hotel suite.

Based on the interaction here, it seems that Liam and Ezequiel are quite friendly … possibly because they already knew each other and had met earlier during Liam’s stay in Buenos Aires.

As we reported… prosecutors say Liam did not die by suicideand states that he crashed to his death as a result of the effects of the drugs he was taking.

Three people have been charged in the case – Pereyra, a friend who allegedly abandoned Liam, and also an alleged drug dealer … who has since stated and denied ever supplying Liam with drugs or receiving money from the late One Direction singer.

Police say Liam had his medicine delivered in a Dove soap box … and police say only hotel staff had access to the resort’s soap supply.

According to the autopsyLiam had cocaine, crack, ketamine, ecstasy and a form of crystal meth in his system when he died.