Bolivia: Crime and Justice
Key Facts
—Charges. Sebastián Marset, a Uruguayan accused of running a cocaine network, faces cocaine-conspiracy, money laundering and narcoterrorism charges.
—Motion. Prosecutors asked a judge this week to admit evidence of alleged bribes in four countries.
—Bolivia. Prosecutors allege bribes bought Bolivian police files and warnings of capture operations.
—Trial. Federal court in Virginia, trial set for 11 January 2027; he is presumed innocent.
—Power Index. Bolivia ranks 13th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 27.9 points (November 2026 edition).
US prosecutors want a Virginia jury to hear that drug suspect Sebastián Marset allegedly bribed officials in four countries. These are allegations, and Marset is presumed innocent.
This week, US federal prosecutors asked a judge in Virginia to let a jury hear evidence that Sebastián Marset allegedly bribed officials in Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. Marset, a Uruguayan accused of running a cocaine network, was captured in Bolivia on 13 March 2026 and brought to the US.
His trial is set for 11 January 2027 in federal court in Virginia, so the ruling will shape what jurors hear. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the US anti-drug agency, features in the allegations about Bolivia.
What Prosecutors Are Asking For
Prosecutors filed the motion this week, asking Judge Rossie Alston Jr. of the Eastern District of Virginia to allow evidence of other alleged crimes, which US courts call “other acts” evidence. Press accounts of the filing say prosecutors will present evidence of bribes in Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Venezuela.
Marset allegedly paid government officials to obtain information and protection from law enforcement. He is presumed innocent, and a court has not tested the claim.
The charges include conspiracy to traffic cocaine, money laundering and narcoterrorism, a US charge linking drug crimes to terrorism. He is presumed innocent, and the motion does not decide his guilt.
Why It Matters
A jury can only weigh what a judge lets it hear. If Judge Alston agrees, jurors would learn how prosecutors say one network avoided arrest across four countries.
Bolivian police arrested Captain Guillermo Ruiz, a police officer, on 27 October 2026 in a separate probe of cash allegedly taken after Marset’s arrest. Our earlier report has the details.
What the Filing Says About Bolivia
Press accounts say the filing describes bribes to Bolivian officials. It is not clear from those accounts which officials are meant.
In return, the network allegedly got files on drug trafficking from Bolivian law enforcement, warnings about operations to capture him and information about DEA meetings with Bolivian officials. Press accounts add that prosecutors accuse him of threatening or attacking officials he could not corrupt.
Our Bolivia hub follows the wider story. Our report on Bolivia’s president and his first year in office gives the political backdrop.
Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela
Press accounts of the filing describe the same alleged pattern in Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela. Those accounts give no further detail on those three countries.
These are allegations, and a court has not tested them. Marset is presumed innocent.
What to Watch Next
The trial is set for 11 January 2027 in federal court in Virginia. Judge Alston’s ruling on the motion comes first, but its date is unclear.
We found no defence response to this motion. Any ruling would come before the trial opens on 11 January 2027.
What It Means for You
For a US reader, this is a federal trial at home that rests partly on events abroad. The motion tests whether a US jury hears about foreign corruption.
The strongest counter-view is the presumption of innocence: Marset is presumed innocent, and no defence response has been reported. The judge has not yet decided what the jury may hear.
What Is Not Known
The judge has not ruled, and the date of a ruling is unclear. It is not clear which officials are meant, or whether any has been charged.
The exact legal basis cited in the motion is not known, and neither is the defence response. We could not read the filing itself, so every detail here comes from press accounts of it.
The January trial will show how much of this the jury is allowed to hear. Until then, the bribe claims remain allegations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sebastián Marset accused of?
He is accused of conspiracy to traffic cocaine, money laundering and narcoterrorism. He is presumed innocent, and these are allegations.
What bribes do prosecutors allege?
Prosecutors allege Marset paid officials in Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Venezuela for information and protection from law enforcement. For Bolivia, they allege he obtained police files and warnings of capture operations.
When is the Marset trial?
The trial is set for 11 January 2027 in federal court in Virginia. The judge’s ruling on the bribery evidence comes first.
Has the judge ruled on the bribery evidence?
Not yet. Judge Rossie Alston Jr. received the motion this week, and the date of a ruling is unclear.
Sources
Prosecutors’ motion in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (filed this week), as described in Bolivian and Uruguayan press accounts of 13 November 2026.
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