Bolivia arrests attorney general and 13 others

Bolivian police arrested Attorney General Roger Mariaca and 13 others on Wednesday, September 30, in an operation authorities said targeted an alleged criminal organization within the justice system and the Public Prosecutors Office. Interior Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo said Mariaca would face charges related to money laundering and drug trafficking. The allegations have not been independently established in the supplied reporting. Oviedo said the arrests followed the circulation of video and audio recordings attributed to Sebastián Marset, a suspected Uruguayan drug trafficker. According to the minister, the material included Marset allegedly describing Mariaca as a friend and claiming he had paid $500,000 to remain in Bolivia and continue operating. The recordings have not been independently authenticated in the available accounts. The arrests came two days after the U.S. State Department revoked Mariaca’s visa and accused him of accepting bribes to facilitate drug trafficking and help violent criminals evade justice.