The Organized Crime judge, Lici Teresita Sánchez, ordered the seizure and deposit into an account of the National Secretariat for the Administration of Seized and Commissioned Assets (Senabico) of amounts in guaraníes, reais, and dollars related to Operation Air Box, which dismantled a premium marijuana trafficking network in Asunción and Luque.
G. 1,755,000 in guaraní cash was seized from a room at the Los Alpes Cipreses Hotel in Asunción, along with 22 reais and 1 dollar. A bag containing US$44,900 was also found inside a Toyota Vitz with license plates AAUT 800.
The investigation, launched on May 28, 2026, based on information from the National Anti-Drug Secretariat (Senad), uncovered an organization that smuggled drugs into the country through apparently legitimate international air cargo declared as art pieces. The suspicious shipment arrived in Paraguay at 2:47 a.m. on a Copa Airlines flight from Los Angeles, United States.
During the inquiry, Ever Ramón Suárez Maldonado and Carlos Daniel Díaz Sanabria were identified as responsible for coordinating logistics and customs procedures to retrieve the shipment. They were arrested and charged by prosecutor Ingrid Cubilla of the Specialized Unit for Combating Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime with international drug trafficking, unauthorized possession of illicit substances, and criminal association, under Paraguayan laws Nos. 1,340/88 and 1,881/2002.
Additionally, José Araújo was charged with possession and cultivation of narcotic substances following the discovery of an indoor marijuana laboratory at his residence.
When the shipment was opened in the presence of prosecutor Ingrid Cubilla and judge Rosarito Montanía, 147.4 kilograms of marijuana in the form of hashish were found disguised as art sculptures.
The seized funds were deposited into a checking account at the National Development Bank (BNF), as ordered by the court. The case remains under investigation to further examine those involved and the operations of the criminal organization.
For companies using ERP systems, point-of-sale, or e-commerce platforms, electronic tax integration via API, as offered by the Fisnodo platform, facilitates compliance with the Paraguayan Federal Revenue Service’s requirements, including the issuance of electronic tax documents and automatic data validation.