US Prosecutors Say Marset Threatened or Killed Police He Could Not Corrupt
Key Facts
Sebastián Marset, accused of running one of South America’s largest cocaine networks, faces trial in the United States. US prosecutors now say he met resistance from police with threats or killings.
US Justice Department prosecutors said Marset “threatened or killed” police officers he could not corrupt, la diaria reported on 18 September 2026. The filing answers defence motions in the federal court for the Eastern District of Virginia, where the Uruguayan has pleaded not guilty.
Why This Matters
US prosecutors accuse Marset of leading the Primer Cartel Uruguayo, or First Uruguayan Cartel, which they say shipped cocaine to Europe. He was captured in Bolivia in March 2026 and flown to the US, as The Rio Times reported at the time.
Paraguay has sought him in drug and money-laundering cases and investigates him over the 2022 murder of prosecutor Marcelo Pecci. Uruguay had no open case against him at the time of his capture, Ámbito reported, so it could not seek his extradition.
What the Prosecutors Argue
The filing rejects the defence claim that the case amounts to vindictive prosecution, according to la diaria. Prosecutors called Marset one of the world’s most prolific and violent drug traffickers, the Montevideo daily reported.
They argued that the alleged violence served to advance his organisation, protect his freedom and intimidate others. Montevideo Portal reported in June that prosecutors accuse him of ordering a 2020 grenade attack on Uruguay’s anti-drug police headquarters.
The same filing said he ordered threatening messages to Mónica Ferrero, then an anti-drug prosecutor and now Uruguay’s interim attorney general. In September 2025, attackers fired shots and set off a grenade at Ferrero’s home in Montevideo, Infobae reported.
Investigators suspected a local gang that they said worked in coordination with Marset, according to the same report. A superseding indictment filed in late June added narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine and money-laundering charges to an earlier laundering count.
Judge Rossie Alston Jr. has set the trial for 11 January 2027, OCCRP reported. Marset denies the charges, and he has accused DEA agents of trying to extort about US$4 million in cryptocurrency.
What Is Not Yet Known
The public part of la diaria’s report does not say which killings prosecutors attribute to Marset. None of the violence allegations has been tested in court, and Marset is presumed innocent.
The court has not yet ruled on the defence motions that the filing answers. It is also unclear whether Paraguay will pursue its own charges after the US trial.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Sebastián Marset being prosecuted?
He faces charges in the federal court for the Eastern District of Virginia, with trial set for January 2027. Paraguay also has cases against him.
Has Marset been convicted in the United States?
No. He has pleaded not guilty, and the allegations against him have not been proven in court.
Sources: la diaria, prosecutors’ response to Marset’s motions, Montevideo Portal, new charges and threats against Ferrero, OCCRP, trial date in Virginia, OCCRP, narcoterrorism charge added, Infobae, the 2025 attack on Mónica Ferrero’s home, Ámbito, which countries sought Marset, The Rio Times, Marset captured in Bolivia
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