BOLIVIA · JUSTICE
Bolivian prosecutors have charged Mauricio Requena, an aide to Rómer Saucedo, who has headed Bolivia’s Supreme Court of Justice, with drug trafficking and want him jailed for 180 days, Bolivian news outlets reported on Thursday 12 November 2026. One outlet gives the detail and a second confirms the charges, but we could not open an official prosecution statement.
The case belongs to the “suitcase case”, an investigation in Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s eastern lowland department (region), into 32 suitcases that arrived on a charter flight in November 2025, which have reportedly been linked to marijuana trafficking. For US readers, it follows an arrest order for the man who has headed the court, in a drug-trafficking inquiry in the Andes.
Key Facts
- Who Mauricio Requena, described in the charging document as secretary general of the Supreme Court of Justice and a trusted aide of Rómer Saucedo.
- What Charged with drug trafficking, criminal association and conspiracy; prosecutors ask for 180 days in Santa Cruz’s Palmasola prison.
- When A hearing on pre-trial detention was set for 14:00 local time on Thursday 12 November 2026, before Judge Ximena Flores in Santa Cruz.
- Not confirmed We could not open an official prosecution statement, and no hearing result was available.
- Power Index Bolivia ranks 13th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 27.9 points (November 2026 edition).
What Prosecutors Reportedly Want
Bolivian news reports say prosecutor Rolando Salvatierra, who coordinates the anti-narcotics unit of the Fiscalía (the state prosecution service) in Santa Cruz, filed the charges. They say he asked Judge Ximena Flores for six months, or 180 days, of pre-trial detention at Palmasola, a prison in Santa Cruz.
The charging document calls Requena a “persona de confianza” (a person of trust) of Saucedo. A pre-trial hearing, where a judge decides whether a suspect stays in custody, was due at 14:00 on Thursday 12 November.
Prosecutors say Requena helped arrange an “express” judicial travel permit linked to the case. Press accounts say he was arrested on Tuesday 10 November after giving a statement.
Why Saucedo Is Central
A prosecutors’ resolution dated Tuesday 3 November 2026 ordered Saucedo’s arrest for drug trafficking and criminal organisation, according to a Bolivian newspaper report of 4 November. On Wednesday 4 November Saucedo said he had left Bolivia, but a second report of 5 November quotes the police commander as saying there is no record of his leaving through official border posts.
The allegations against Saucedo are prosecutors’ claims, and no court has ruled on them. We cover the wider case in our reports on the hunt for a former prosecutor and on the latest from Bolivia.
What It Means for You
Travellers face no direct effect, because the case concerns alleged events in 2025 and a court process. Our reading for investors in Bolivian assets is governance risk, since no figure we could source links the case to the country’s finances.
The next marker is the judge’s decision on detention. A second marker is whether Saucedo is found or surrenders.
What Is Not Known
We do not know the result of the 14:00 hearing, or how Requena answers the charges. Reports describe him variously as secretary general, adviser and former adviser.
Requena’s lawyer, Erika Oroza, has questioned his arrest, according to a Bolivian press report of 11 November. A charge is not a conviction, and Requena is presumed innocent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mauricio Requena?
He is described as secretary general of Bolivia’s Supreme Court of Justice and a trusted aide of Rómer Saucedo. He is charged, not convicted.
What do prosecutors want?
They ask for 180 days of pre-trial detention at Palmasola prison in Santa Cruz, according to Bolivian news reports of 12 November 2026. A judge decides.
Why is the case in the news?
It follows an arrest order for Rómer Saucedo, the court’s head. Prosecutors say Requena helped arrange an “express” judicial travel permit linked to the 32-suitcase case.
Sources: The prosecutors’ resolution of 3 November 2026 on Rómer Saucedo, in Bolivian press report, 4 November 2026; Bolivian press report, 5 November 2026; Bolivian press reports of 12 November 2026 on the charges against Requena (no official statement opened).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error