Paraguay is awaiting information about possible connections to Sebastián Marset in the country after officials were detained in Bolivia, said Jalil Rachid, head of the National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD). In statements published on October 1, he said he wanted to identify any public officials involved and clarify leaks during Operation A Ultranza PY.
The Bolivian operations took place on September 30 in Santa Cruz, La Paz and Sucre. Those detained include Attorney General Roger Mariaca, Santa Cruz departmental prosecutor Alberto Zeballos and former Government Minister Eduardo Del Castillo. Bolivia’s government accuses Mariaca of allegedly leading a criminal organization within the Public Prosecutor’s Office to protect drug trafficking. It is an accusation, not a conviction.
In an interview with Arriba Hoy on GEN and Universo 970, reproduced by La Nación and Hoy, Rachid alleged that Marset received protection from Bolivian officials in return for payments. The claim comes from the SENAD chief; the reports do not, by themselves, establish the criminal responsibility of those named or prove the payments.
El Nacional also published remarks by Rachid from an interview with radio station 1020 AM. He said Bolivia would have priority for the information, but Paraguay hopes to learn about connections within its territory. According to his account, the organization began operating in Paraguay and then in Bolivia. Rachid linked Paraguay’s interest to identifying officials who may have been bribed and leaks during A Ultranza PY, launched on February 22, 2022 and now at a public oral trial.
ABC Color, which interviewed Rachid on ABC Cardinal, reports that Marset was captured in Santa Cruz on March 13, 2026 and extradited to the United States. He awaits a trial scheduled for January 2027 on charges of narcoterrorism and money laundering. The detentions in Bolivia do not amount to a ruling on those charges.
Paraguayan Interior Minister Enrique Riera told 1020 AM that, if there is evidence against Paraguayan officials, the case should proceed without a cover-up. In the interview reported by La Nación, he referred to former SENAD chief and former Interior Minister Arnaldo Giuzzio, who faces criminal proceedings.
Riera also accused Del Castillo and Mariaca of obstructing the arrest of the Villalba sisters, described as linked to the logistical wing of the Paraguayan People’s Army (EPP). He alleged that protection by Bolivian officials facilitated their departure through Viru Viru airport for Venezuela. La Nación reports Riera’s account; the allegation has not been independently confirmed.