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Bolivia transferred alleged drug trafficker Sebastian Marset to U.S. custody Friday after his arrest in the eastern city of Santa Cruz, ending a years-long manhunt for the Uruguayan national accused of leading a large cocaine trafficking network.
State television footage showed Marset being escorted to Santa Cruz airport, where agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) took him into custody before placing him aboard a U.S.-bound aircraft.
Bolivian officials said the handover followed a court order issued by the U.S. justice system.
Marset was detained in an upscale neighborhood of Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s economic hub, during a security operation involving hundreds of police officers. Authorities also arrested four additional individuals during the raids.
The arrests came days after Bolivia and 16 other countries joined a U.S.-backed anti-cartel military initiative known as the "Shield of the Americas," launched by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Marset, 34, had been on the run since July 2023 when he fled his home in Santa Cruz shortly before a large police operation aimed at capturing him.
U.S. authorities placed a $2 million reward on his capture over allegations linked to money laundering and organized drug trafficking. Investigators accuse him of leading a criminal network responsible for importing more than 16 tons of cocaine into Europe.
Marset previously served a prison sentence in Uruguay for drug trafficking between 2013 and 2018 before moving across South America. Both Bolivia and Paraguay later issued arrest warrants against him.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz thanked international partners for assisting in the operation, highlighting cooperation among regional authorities and foreign agencies.
Bolivia is considered the world’s third-largest producer of cocaine derived from coca leaves.
Marset’s arrest follows another recent blow to organized crime in the region. Last month, Mexican forces killed Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera during an arrest operation with support from U.S. intelligence.
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