South America · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
Bolivia Arrests Attorney General Roger Mariaca, Detains 14 Over Drug Trafficking Network
Attorney General Roger Mariaca detained on allegations of money laundering and drug trafficking. Police dismantled a criminal organization infiltrating the justice system, authorities say.
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Mariaca detained, network dismantled
Bolivian authorities dismantled a group operating within the justice system after the arrest of Attorney General Roger Mariaca, who was accused of leading a criminal organization within the Public Prosecutor’s Office that protected drug trafficking.
Interior Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo told reporters, "An organization has been dismantled that was embedded in the justice system and the Public Prosecutor's Office," and he said the alleged network was "destined to encourage and protect narcoterrorism in the country."
Bolivian police detained Mariaca on Wednesday at Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in eastern Bolivia, and the Public Prosecutor's Office initially denounced the arrest as illegal.
The government said 14 people were detained during a police operation linked to the alleged criminal organization, and it described the case as part of actions against drug trafficking, systemic corruption, and transnational organized crime.
The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "The Trump Administration stands firmly with President Rodrigo Paz and Bolivia's democratically elected government as it takes bold and decisive actions to combat narco-trafficking, systemic corruption, and transnational organized crime in Bolivia," after the arrest.
Arrest details and competing claims
Bolivian police arrested Mariaca and 13 others over alleged protection for drug traffickers, and the government said the action came days after the Trump administration imposed visa restrictions on Mariaca and several senior officials.
Anti-drug prosecutor Miguel Gonzales said late on Wednesday that police detained Mariaca without a warrant, while Interior Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo said authorities had "dismantled a criminal organization entrenched in the justice system."
Prosecutor Daniel Ortuo said officers found 3.53 million bolivianos, about USD 294,000, and another USD 10,000 in the vehicle during the operation.
The government also alleged that cash seized from an ambulance leaving Mariaca's home in Santa Cruz early on Thursday was linked to extortion of people seeking help from prosecutors.
Mariaca rejected the U.S. accusations as political pressure and said he would continue investigations under his office's jurisdiction, while the U.S. State Department accused him of abusing his position by allegedly soliciting and accepting bribes to facilitate narcotrafficking.
Next steps and regional stakes
Bolivian authorities said Mariaca would face charges of money laundering and drug trafficking, and the Interior Minister warned officials against working with criminal groups by saying, "Either you stand with the law ... or you stand with crime, with narcoterrorism."
The Attorney General’s Office said that Luis Montaño Morales would now serve as interim head of Roger Mariaca, while the government refused to recognize this appointment and said Montaño was "wanted" and "about to be arrested."
The Parliament was due to hold an emergency session Friday to attempt to designate a new attorney general, as the arrests placed Bolivia's justice system under fresh scrutiny.
The operation also unfolded alongside U.S. visa sanctions, with the U.S. State Department casting the measures as support for the Shield of the Americas, a Trump administration security alliance with mostly conservative governments in the region.
The U.S. accusations centered on alleged bribes to facilitate drug trafficking and help violent criminals evade justice, while Mariaca denied the allegations and characterized the visa revocation as "political pressure" on his office.