Bolivia has arrested its own attorney general on charges of money laundering and drug trafficking, marking a dramatic turn in the South American nation’s efforts to realign itself with Washington after two decades of socialist governance hostile to American interests.
Roger Mariaca, who served as Bolivia’s top prosecutor, was taken into custody Wednesday night in the eastern city of Santa Cruz. The arrest followed by just two days the United States government’s decision to revoke his visa based on credible allegations of links to drug trafficking operations.
What emerged in the hours following Mariaca’s arrest paints a troubling picture of corruption at the highest levels of Bolivia’s justice system. In the early morning hours Thursday, police intercepted four individuals attempting to transport bundles of cash from Mariaca’s residence using an ambulance as cover. Video evidence released by Bolivia’s Interior Ministry shows law enforcement officers removing substantial quantities of currency concealed within the vehicle’s panels.
Interior Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo characterized the operation as the dismantling of “a criminal organization entrenched in the justice system.” Speaking at a press conference Thursday, Oviedo stated that the Attorney General’s Office under Mariaca’s leadership had become “a criminal organization dedicated to protecting, encouraging, and safeguarding narco-terrorism.”
The scope of the arrests extends beyond Mariaca himself. Authorities have detained four prosecutors, six employees of the public prosecutor’s office, and the four individuals discovered aboard the ambulance, suggesting a network of complicity within Bolivia’s prosecutorial apparatus.
The United States Department of State issued a statement Monday alleging that Mariaca had accepted bribes to facilitate drug trafficking and assist violent criminals in evading prosecution. Mariaca has denied these allegations. His attorney, Romel Ipamo, stated that his client would cooperate fully with the investigation.
Interior Minister Oviedo confirmed that Mariaca’s arrest occurred with cooperation from the United States government as part of what he termed the “fight against terrorism.” This collaboration represents a significant shift in bilateral relations between Washington and La Paz.
The arrests come as Bolivia’s center-right President Rodrigo Paz, who assumed office in November 2025, works to rebuild ties with the United States following twenty years of socialist governance marked by antagonism toward Washington. On Monday, the United States revoked visas for twelve Bolivian officials and rendered nine other Bolivian nationals ineligible to receive visas.
In March, President Paz brought Bolivia into the Shield of the Americas, a United States-led coalition of right-leaning Latin American governments focused on combating transnational organized crime. This decision signaled a fundamental reorientation of Bolivia’s foreign policy.
Mariaca had served as attorney general since October 2024. Following his arrest, the Attorney General’s Office announced that Luis Montano Morales, the next most senior public prosecutor, would assume leadership on an interim basis.
The irony of Mariaca’s arrest is not lost on observers. During his brief tenure, Bolivian authorities under his oversight captured Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastian Marset, who appeared on the United States’ most-wanted fugitives list. Marset was transferred to agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration at the Santa Cruz airport and subsequently transported to the United States for prosecution. He made his first appearance in federal court in Virginia in March.
This case underscores the complex challenges facing nations attempting to root out deeply embedded corruption within their own institutions. It also demonstrates the continued importance of American cooperation in combating drug trafficking networks that operate across international borders.
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