Suitcases case: former judge Aldo Quezada detained and taken to FELCN in Santa Cruz
The former president of Santa Cruz's TDJ was arrested and transferred to the FELCN for alleged drug trafficking in the Suitcases case.
Former Santa Cruz judge arrested in Suitcases case following search of his home
The former president of the Departmental Court of Justice (TDJ) of Santa Cruz, Aldo Quezada, was arrested on Wednesday and taken to the facilities of the Special Force to Combat Drug Trafficking (FELCN), on the fourth ring and Paraguá avenue, to give a statement as an investigated party. This is reported by El Deber, which details the circumstances of his detention in the so-called Suitcases case.
The arrest warrant was executed following a search of Quezada's home, located in the northern part of the Santa Cruz capital. The Public Prosecutor's Office clarified that on Tuesday the former magistrate had indeed appeared to give a statement, but went to the Departmental Public Prosecutor's Office of Santa Cruz, on the first ring and Beni passageway, instead of the Controlled Substances Public Prosecutor's Office, in the Las Palmas area, which was where he had been summoned.
Quezada is being investigated for the alleged crimes of drug trafficking, criminal association, and conspiracy. The superior prosecutor of Sucre, Marcelo Inchausti Natusch, confirmed that investigative procedures and forensic examinations at the property were continuing at the time of the arrest and that the former judge would be transferred subsequently to give his statement.
Connection with Laura Rojas and the travel permit
Quezada was initially summoned as a witness after former deputy Laura Rojas and her lawyer, Joadel Bravo, mentioned him in their own statements. According to Rojas's account, Quezada would have facilitated the processing of a judicial travel permit for her two minor daughters, despite the father not having signed the corresponding authorisation.
That transaction, according to the same statement, would have been carried out through the intermediation of Mauricio Requena, former secretary of the then president of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), Rómer Saucedo. The permit would have allowed Rojas to travel to California, United States, and return to Santa Cruz on 29 November 2025 on a charter flight, alongside foreign national Giuliano Leoni, who was carrying more than 30 suitcases.
Requena also arrested
In the course of the same investigation, Requena was equally arrested after transitioning from witness to accused party, as confirmed by his lawyer Ericka Oroza. Both Requena and Quezada await formal charges from the Public Prosecutor's Office and to be presented before a bail judge, who will determine their legal status.
The investigation aims to clarify the circumstances of the entry of the bulky luggage into the country and to determine the possible responsibilities of the people involved.
Source: El Deber