Prosecutor orders arrest of Supreme Court president Saucedo for drug trafficking
A prosecutorial resolution dated 3 November orders the arrest of Rómer Saucedo for drug trafficking and organised crime. The judge announced his departure from Bolivia one day later.
Arrest warrant against Saucedo for drug trafficking, one day before his announcement of "exile"
A prosecutorial resolution dated 3 November 2026 requires the arrest of Rómer Saucedo, president of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), for alleged trafficking in controlled substances and organised crime, according to El Deber. The document was issued in La Paz, one day before the judge publicly announced his departure from the country.
Prosecutors Daniel Portales Barja and Edwin Alfonso Sarmiento Valdivia, attached to the Specialised Prosecution for Drug Trafficking Offences, Laundering of Illicit Proceeds, Environmental Crimes and Asset Forfeiture in La Paz, make up the investigating commission. The operative part of the resolution orders the "arrest" of Saucedo under article 226 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The resolution notes sufficient indications to consider the judge a probable perpetrator of the investigated facts. It cites article 48 of Law 1008, referring to trafficking in controlled substances—carrying sentences of ten to 25 years imprisonment—and article 132 bis of the Criminal Code, regarding organised crime.
As grounds for arrest, prosecutors invoke specific procedural risks: they maintain that Saucedo had not presented suitable documentation of residence and employment in Bolivia, which would enable his possible flight. They also allege that he could remain in hiding, destroy evidence or influence witnesses, citing articles 234 and 235 of the Code of Criminal Procedure regarding risk of flight and obstruction.
The chronology is significant. The resolution is dated Tuesday 3, while Saucedo announced on Wednesday 4 that he had left Bolivia with his family. The judge denounced political persecution and risks to his life and liberty, and stated that he would not resign from his post.
That same Wednesday, interim attorney general José Armando Urioste acknowledged the existence of between two and three investigations in Santa Cruz against Saucedo. Urioste announced steps to formalise arrest warrants and process a possible red notice from Interpol.
Source: El Deber