Bolivian security forces have captured Sebastián Marset, the notorious leader of the First Uruguayan Cartel, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The 34-year-old fugitive was immediately transferred to the U.S. to face federal drug trafficking and money laundering charges.
High-Stakes Arrest
Sebastián Marset was captured during a police raid in Santa Cruz de la Sierra without any casualties.
Immediate Extradition
Following his arrest on March 13, 2026, Marset was flown to the United States to face federal charges.
DEA Cooperation
While the DEA did not participate in the raid, they managed the logistics of the transfer, signaling renewed ties with Bolivia.
Criminal Background
Marset is the founder of the First Uruguayan Cartel (PCU) and is linked to the 2022 murder of prosecutor Marcelo Pecci.
Bolivian authorities arrested Uruguayan drug lord Sebastián Marset in a police raid in Santa Cruz de la Sierra on March 13, 2026, and transferred him to the United States the same day. Marset, identified as the alleged leader of the Primer Cartel Uruguayo, had been one of the most wanted fugitives on Interpol and DEA lists. No one was killed or injured during the operation. The arrest marked the culmination of a prolonged international manhunt for one of Latin America's most prominent trafficking suspects.
Marco Antonio Oviedo, Bolivia's Minister of Government, confirmed the arrest and the transfer to the United States. The DEA assisted in the logistics of the transfer. Marset faces charges in the United States related to cocaine trafficking and money laundering. Oviedo confirmed that the operation proceeded without casualties on either side.
Marset had been a fugitive for several years before his capture in Bolivia. According to web search results, Bolivian authorities reported that Marset had entered Bolivia shortly after he was named as the man suspected of paying the killers of Marcelo Pecci, a Paraguayan anti-crime prosecutor whose murder drew international attention in 2023. Marset was accused by authorities in multiple countries of running an international cocaine trafficking and money laundering network. Interpol and the DEA had both listed him among their most wanted suspects.
Marset's capture in Santa Cruz de la Sierra represented a significant operation for Bolivian law enforcement and U.S. federal authorities. The immediate transfer to the United States following the arrest indicated prior coordination between Bolivian and American agencies. Marset is accused of leading a network that operated across multiple countries in the region. His extradition to the United States means he will face federal prosecution there rather than in Bolivia or Uruguay.