Former Colorado Party senator Erico Galeano Segovia, sentenced to 13 years in prison for money laundering from drug trafficking and criminal association, was taken into pretrial custody on Tuesday at the National Center for Pretrial Detainees, the former Tacumbú Penitentiary. The decision was made by the Specialized Organized Crime Sentencing Court, composed of judges Pablino Barreto (presiding), Inés Galarza, and Juan Dávalos, who granted the request of prosecutors Deny Yoon Pak and Silvio Corbeta Dinamarca.
The arrest comes as the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice reviews the extraordinary appeal against the sentence, which had already been upheld by the Court of Appeals. On Wednesday, Galeano's defense, led by lawyers Luis Almada and Ricardo Estigarribia, filed a motion of unconstitutionality seeking to annul the conviction and all rulings that confirmed it.
During the hearing to review measures, the defense offered bail of approximately 17 billion guaranis, secured by three properties, and requested house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor. The court, however, found a flight risk and revoked the alternative measures Galeano had been complying with since the end of last year. This is the first time the former lawmaker has been arrested since charges were filed on May 19, 2023. He had been under house arrest between September and December 2023, and later on supervised release.
Galeano was convicted on March 4, 2026, as part of Operation A Ultranza, the largest investigation into drug trafficking and asset laundering in Paraguay. The defense also requested that, in case of arrest, he be sent to the Specialized Unit of the National Police or the Viñas Cue prison, but the court ordered the National Center for Pretrial Detainees.