Senior prosecutor Martín Irusta, former lawyer for Evo, arrested in La Paz
Martín Irusta, senior prosecutor and former lawyer for Evo Morales, was detained in La Paz as part of operations linked to drug trafficker Sebastián Marset.
Wave of detentions reaches senior prosecutor Irusta following revelations about Marset
Martín Daniel Irusta Flores, senior prosecutor and former lawyer for former president Evo Morales, was arrested on Wednesday in La Paz, according to El Deber. The detention comes as part of a series of operations triggered following the circulation of a video in which Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset mentions Bolivian authorities and makes accusations regarding alleged payments and contacts with state officials.
Irusta is the fourth official detained in a matter of hours. Prior to him, general prosecutor Roger Mariaca and departmental prosecutor for Santa Cruz Alberto Zeballos were arrested at Viru Viru international airport in Santa Cruz; and former Interior Minister Eduardo Del Castillo was arrested in the Sopocachi area in La Paz. In parallel, police personnel raided the headquarters of the General Public Prosecutor's Office in Sucre.
Profile: MAS lawyer with questioned appointment
Irusta is a lawyer and became publicly known as a member of the legal team for Evo Morales, and had also been professionally linked to other figures in the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS). In February 2026, general prosecutor Mariaca appointed him as Senior Prosecutor, a decision that generated public questioning due to his political and professional background.
His name acquired additional relevance in recent hours after being included by the United States Department of State in a list of Bolivian citizens whose visas were revoked, a measure that Washington attributed to alleged acts of corruption and links to illicit activities.
The precedent of the $95,000 Audi
Irusta had already been the subject of a police investigation that gained notoriety in late 2024. In December of that year, the police reported that he was intercepted at a high-end vehicle dealership in La Paz whilst the purchase of an Audi Sportback Q5 valued at approximately $95,000 was being arranged.
The investigation was opened for an alleged offence of money laundering, due to financial movements that, according to the authorities, bore no relation to his declared income. The vehicle was to be registered in the name of a third party, identified in media reports at the time as a cumbia dancer. Irusta and the woman were arrested to give statements.
The La Paz Public Prosecutor's Office later dismissed the investigation on the grounds that there were insufficient elements to initiate criminal proceedings. However, an investigation published by El Deber noted that police officers reported that the inquiry was halted following alleged intervention by a superior authority, which generated fresh questions about the conduct of the officials involved.
The Marset video, trigger for operations
The wave of detentions was triggered following the circulation of a video of an interview conducted with Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset on 13 March, during the hours following his arrest in Santa Cruz. In that material, Marset mentions prosecutor Mariaca and former minister Del Castillo, and makes accusations regarding alleged payments and contacts with Bolivian authorities.
Marset's statements correspond to his own version of events and, according to El Deber, must be compared with documentation, testimony and other evidence before criminal responsibility can be established.
Source: El Deber