Bolivia arrests attorney general after US narco-corruption allegations

Bolivian police arrested Attorney General Roger Mariaca and 13 others on September 30, 2026, on charges of money laundering and drug trafficking. The arrests follow United States visa sanctions against Mariaca for allegedly accepting bribes to protect drug traffickers, including Uruguayan kingpin Sebastián Marset. Under conservative President Rodrigo Paz, Bolivia is deepening security ties with Washington and cooperating with the DEA, marking a sharp pivot from previous socialist administrations.

The arrest and prosecution of Roger Mariaca

• ▪Bolivian Interior Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo announced that Roger Mariaca will face charges of money laundering and drug trafficking for allegedly protecting and facilitating drug trafficking activities
• ▪Bolivian authorities arrested Roger Mariaca without a warrant at Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz, according to anti-drug prosecutor Miguel Gonzales and local media reports
• ▪Bolivian police seized 3.53 million bolivianos and $10,000 from an ambulance leaving Roger Mariaca's Santa Cruz home on October 1, 2026, which Interior Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo alleged were extortion proceeds
• ▪Bolivian police arrested Attorney General Roger Mariaca and 13 other individuals on September 30, 2026, during overnight raids targeting a suspected criminal organization within the judiciary

United States visa sanctions

• ▪The United States visa restrictions imposed on Bolivian officials, including Attorney General Roger Mariaca, this week were part of a broader round of travel bans affecting nearly 20 individuals across South America, including Colombia and Ecuador
• ▪The United States State Department revoked the visas of Roger Mariaca and 11 other Bolivian officials on September 28, 2026, accusing Mariaca of accepting bribes to facilitate drug trafficking

Bolivian cooperation with the United States

• ▪Conservative President Rodrigo Paz, who took office in November 2025, has deepened security cooperation with Washington and resumed collaboration with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration
• ▪Bolivia joined the Trump administration's Shield of the Americas security alliance earlier this year and is currently seeking to secure a $1.9 billion International Monetary Fund program approved by Bolivia's congress

Debatable claims

• ▪Bolivia should deepen its security cooperation with the United States
• ▪US visa sanctions are an effective tool to combat corruption in Bolivia
• ▪The warrantless arrest of Roger Mariaca was justified
• ▪The arrest of Roger Mariaca is a legitimate anti-corruption action