US EditionAlleged Drug Lord Accused of Laundering Money Through Soccer Teams Appears in U.S. Court After Years on the Run
Sebastián Marset allegedly led a cocaine trafficking network shipping thousands of kilograms to Europe and laundered proceeds via $15 million in seized Bolivian assets, officials said.
- On Monday, alleged Latin American narco trafficker Sebastian Marset made his first US court appearance in Virginia after being transferred to US authorities, prosecutors said.
- Previously, Marset served prison time in Uruguay from 2013 to 2018 and eluded police for years while living across Bolivia and Paraguay.
- Investigators accuse his network of shipping large quantities of cocaine to Europe, and a close associate, Federico Ezequiel Santoro Vassallo, was sentenced to 15 years in the US after pleading guilty to money laundering.
- Bolivian authorities announced seizure of about $15 million in assets, including five houses and firearms, with Marset potentially facing up to 20 years' imprisonment if convicted of money laundering.
- Captured in Bolivia last week, Marset was transferred to US custody, highlighting the transnational reach of investigations into his alleged network.
46 Articles
46 Articles
The arrest of Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset in Bolivia provoked a strong reaction in the United States. The Drug Control Administration (DEA) described the detainee as the most influential criminal of drug trafficking in this region of the continent. The head of the DEA, Terrance Cole, said that Marset represents a threat comparable to the great drug lords of the last century. As explained in an official statement released by the ag…
What Marset's Capture Tells Us About the Cocaine Business
What Marset’s Capture Tells Us About the Cocaine Business The capture of Sebastián Marset, one of South America’s most wanted individuals, exemplifies why the takedown of major leaders should be just one part of a multi-pronged approach to tackling the drug trade. Marset was arrested on March 13, 2026, in Bolivia in a joint operation between Bolivia’s Special Force to Combat Drug Trafficking (Fuerza Especial de Lucha Contra el Narcotráfico – FEL…
Suspected South American Drug Kingpin Arrested in Bolivia, Transferred to US
Sebastián Marset, the alleged head of a South American cartel, was arrested in Bolivia on March 13 and transferred over the weekend to U.S. custody, where he has been indicted for money laundering, according to officials. Marset, 34, is accused of leading the First Uruguayan Cartel (Primer Cartel Uruguayo, or PCU), and is wanted in Paraguay and Bolivia on organized crime charges related to cocaine trafficking between South American countries a…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
