Bolivia Orders Arrest of Marset’s Sister on 12 October
BOLIVIA · COURTS
Key Facts
- —The country Bolivia, where the case is heard in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
- —What happened A sentencing court declared Tatiana Marset in contempt and ordered her arrest.
- —Why She missed a Monday appeal hearing on revoking her house arrest.
- —Her defence Her lawyer says she is in a clinic with internal bleeding.
- —US link Her brother Sebastián Marset faces narcoterrorism charges in a US court.
A Santa Cruz sentencing court declared Tatiana Marset in contempt after she missed a hearing on Monday, 12 October. Her brother, alleged drug lord Sebastián Marset, awaits trial in the United States.
A Bolivian court on Monday ordered the arrest of Tatiana Marset, the sister of alleged Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset. Her brother faces money-laundering, drug-trafficking and narcoterrorism charges before a US federal court in Virginia.
Santa Cruz Sentencing Court 2 declared her in contempt for missing an appeal hearing, El Deber and Unitel reported. The court then issued a warrant for her arrest, according to both outlets.
Why the Court Declared Marset in Contempt
Prosecutors had appealed to overturn her house arrest and send her back to Palmasola prison in Santa Cruz, both outlets reported. Marset did not appear at the Monday hearing, according to both outlets.
Her defence said she could not attend because she is in a clinic with internal bleeding, El Deber and Unitel reported. Unitel reported that the judge found the justifications repetitive and ordered police and prosecutors to execute the warrant.
Defence Seeks to Keep Marset Out of Palmasola
Defence lawyer Mónica Terrazas said she would ask the court to lift the contempt finding, El Deber and Unitel reported. Her aim is to keep her client in the proceedings and out of Palmasola, according to both outlets.
Unitel quoted Terrazas as saying her client “will be at her new hearing.” No time has yet been set for that hearing, according to Unitel.
Police Guard the Clinic Over Flight Risk
A strong police contingent guarded the clinic where Marset is being treated on Monday, Unitel reported. El Deber also published a photo of police officers outside the clinic.
The case prosecutor cited a police intelligence report at the hearing alleging a risk that she might flee, Unitel reported. El Deber did not report the flight-risk claim, which could not be independently confirmed.
The Case Against Tatiana Marset
Unitel reported that she is under investigation for criminal organisation, a charge El Deber did not specify. Unitel said police arrested her in Santa Cruz in March, in the same operation that captured her brother.
A court later moved her from Palmasola to house arrest in July, Unitel reported. Prosecutors now want that decision reversed, both outlets reported.
Sebastián Marset Faces Trial in the United States
Sebastián Marset was captured in Bolivia in March and sent to the United States the same day, Unitel and OCCRP reported. He was first indicted in the US on money-laundering charges, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) reported.
A superseding indictment added drug-trafficking and narcoterrorism charges, according to OCCRP. US District Judge Rossie Alston set his trial for 11 January 2027, OCCRP reported on 1 July.
What It Means for You
For US readers, the ruling touches the family of a man facing a US narcoterrorism trial in January 2027. Bolivia handed him to US authorities on the day of his capture, according to Unitel and OCCRP.
President Rodrigo Paz recalled Marset’s capture on Monday while describing death threats against him, El Deber and Unitel reported. Bolivia’s police also received US riot-control equipment on 9 October.
What Is Not Known
The written ruling and the prosecutors’ appeal could not be opened, as the prosecutor’s office website blocks automated access. This report rests on what El Deber and Unitel reported.
Her medical condition has not been independently confirmed, and it is unclear when police will execute the warrant. Whether the defence filing will succeed, and when the new hearing will take place, is also unknown.
What Comes Next
After the warrant is executed, the court will rule on her legal situation and on revoking house arrest, Unitel reported. Until a final judgment, she is presumed innocent.
Sebastián Marset’s US trial is due to open on 11 January 2027, as The Rio Times reported on 4 October. He is also presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did a Bolivian court order Tatiana Marset’s arrest?
The court declared her in contempt after she missed an appeal hearing on Monday, 12 October. Prosecutors want her house arrest revoked and her return to Palmasola prison.
Who is Tatiana Marset?
She is the sister of alleged Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset, El Deber and Unitel reported. Unitel says she is under investigation for criminal organisation.
Where is Sebastián Marset now?
He was sent to the United States after his capture in Bolivia in March. He faces charges before a federal court in Virginia, OCCRP reported.
What does her defence say?
Her lawyer says she is in a clinic with internal bleeding and could not attend. The defence plans to ask the court to lift the contempt finding.
Sources: El Deber, contempt ruling, 12 October 2026; Unitel, contempt ruling, 12 October 2026; Unitel, appeal hearing; Unitel, police guard at clinic; El Deber, Paz remarks; Unitel, Paz remarks; OCCRP, 1 July 2026 (all accessed 12 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief