Bolivian police arrested Attorney General Roger Mariaca on Wednesday at Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz. The arrest occurred two days after the U.S. State Department revoked Mariaca's visa, alleging he accepted bribes to facilitate drug trafficking and assisted criminals in evading justice. A source from the Bolivian Ministry of Government confirmed the detention, and local media reported that Santa Cruz prosecutor Alberto Zeballos was also arrested.
The U.S. State Department announced the visa revocations on Monday, September 28, 2026, as part of a broader action against 27 Latin American individuals. The list includes officials, former officials, and their families from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The Trump administration stated these measures support "Shield of the Americas," a bloc created this year to combat corruption and narcotics trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.
During the police operation, authorities also raided the prosecutor's offices in Sucre. Claudia Pardo, the office's head of communications, described the intervention as illegal during a live social media broadcast. Mariaca has denied all allegations, characterizing the U.S. sanctions as "political pressure" and "interference" related to his ongoing investigations, including a case involving an Argentine political strategist with ties to President Donald Trump's circle.
The scale of the U.S. action extends beyond Bolivia to include a total of 27 individuals across four countries, including a business mogul and a lawmaker from Colombia, and a judge from Peru. The broader impact involves the "Shield of the Americas" initiative, which may influence how these nations coordinate with U.S. law enforcement on drug and human trafficking. Critics and supporters of the move will watch for changes in how high-profile narcotics cases are handled in local courts, particularly following the recent extradition of alleged drug kingpin Sebastián Marset from Bolivia to the U.S.
The next legal steps for Mariaca and Zeballos have not been reported, nor have the specific charges they might face under Bolivian law. The U.S. State Department's visa revocations are effective immediately as of their announcement on September 28. Mariaca, who was elected to a six-year term in 2024, remains at the center of a dispute between his office and the administration of Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz, who has sought closer alignment with Washington.