Mariaca case: FELCN seizes 43 vehicles and UN alerts to criminal infiltration in Bolivian justice system
FELCN raided two car dealerships in Santa Cruz and seized 43 vehicles linked to the network of former prosecutor Mariaca. Unodc warns of organised crime penetration into judicial institutions.
Operations in Mariaca case expand to various regions of the country
The Special Force to Combat Drug Trafficking (FELCN) raided two car dealerships in Santa Cruz and seized 43 vehicles—including Porsche, BMW and Lexus models—as part of an investigation into the criminal network allegedly led by former prosecutor general Róger Mariaca. El Deber reports that the Bolivian Government announced yesterday the expansion of operations, while the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (Unodc) warned of organised crime's penetration of the country's justice system.
Government Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo declared following the anniversary of Umopar in Santa Cruz that the operations "are continuous, they are permanent and, fortunately, things are going well". He acknowledged that some actions do not yield results, but emphasised "the constancy, the follow-up, the accumulation of data and evidence" in the case. Oviedo further stressed that the investigation is fed by international sources: "We receive information from several countries, because crime has no borders; they are transnational crimes".
Two car dealerships in Santa Cruz intervened
The first intervention occurred at a car dealership located on the fourth ring and Radial 27, where prosecutors and anti-drug dogs seized 13 vehicles, documents, a DVR system, an iPhone 17 Pro Max and two other mobile phones. The second operation was carried out at a dealership on Avenida 2 de Agosto, between the fourth and fifth ring, resulting in 30 vehicles being seized—eight of them sealed—plus documentation and another DVR system. Both raids were authorised on 11 October by the First Court of Criminal Instruction on Anti-Corruption of La Paz, at the request of prosecutors Daniel Portales Barja and Edwin Sarmiento Valdivia. Lawyers Silvestre Stanley Ibáñez Salas and Fernando Venegas Hurtado were registered as custodians of the vehicles.
Colonel Andrés Núñez, national director of FELCN, also reported searches in offices, vehicles and properties in La Paz, Santa Cruz and Sucre. At two properties in Mairana allegedly linked to Mariaca's relatives, no evidence was found, although they were sealed. The investigation also covers Major Rubén Aparicio and former prosecutors Alberto Zeballos and Martín Irusta. Mariaca remains in preventive detention in Cantumarca, Potosí.
The UN warns: Bolivia has become a "hub" for transnational crime
In an interview with the EFE agency, Unodc representative in Bolivia, Mónica Mendoza, stated that the country currently operates as a "hub" for foreign criminal groups. Among the organisations identified, she mentioned the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel, the First Capital Command (PCC), Comando Vermelho and structures from Peru and Colombia. "Yes, there is a presence of cartels. We are not talking about Bolivian cartels," Mendoza affirmed.
The Unodc representative warned of increased hit contracts and territorial disputes, and noted that the expansion of organised crime in South America has penetrated justice institutions and generated corruption networks aimed at obstructing criminal prosecution. She further indicated that the capture of Sebastián Marset in March of this year ended the so-called "narcopaz" between rival gangs.
In response to this assessment, Mendoza proposed pursuing the finances of criminal organisations, approving anti-money laundering regulations, increasing penalties for drug trafficking and articulating a coordinated response at regional and international level. The Bolivian Government, for its part, has activated cooperation with Brazil and Chile, and is preparing a high-level meeting with Peru.
Source: El Deber