Key facts
- Bolivia's Attorney General Roger Mariaca was arrested on Wednesday.
- Mariaca was detained with 13 others in an operation targeting a criminal organization within the justice system.
- The US revoked Mariaca's visa on Monday, accusing him of accepting bribes to facilitate drug trafficking.
- Authorities launched the operation after recordings attributed to drug trafficker Sebastian Marset surfaced, alleging Mariaca was paid $500,000.
- The US also blacklisted 12 Bolivian officials this week for corruption or links to drug trafficking.
Bolivia's Attorney General Roger Mariaca was arrested on Wednesday along with 13 other individuals as part of an operation to dismantle a criminal organization allegedly embedded within the country's justice system. The arrests followed the US revoking Mariaca's visa and accusing him of accepting bribes to facilitate drug trafficking.
Interior Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo stated that the network, allegedly led by Mariaca, worked to protect and facilitate drug trafficking activities. The operation was initiated after the circulation of recordings attributed to Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastian Marset, who claimed he had paid Mariaca $500,000 to remain in Bolivia. Marset was captured in Bolivia in March and transferred to the US.
Mariaca denied the US accusations, calling them political interference. Local media reported his detention at Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz. An official from the Attorney General's Office denounced the arrest as an "abduction" during a live broadcast.
This action occurs amid improving relations between Bolivia and the US. President Rodrigo Paz, who took office in November 2025, has been working to rebuild ties, with Bolivia's congress recently approving a $1.9 billion IMF program. The US also blacklisted nearly 20 officials from Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador this week for corruption or links to drug trafficking.