Bolivia seeks Interpol Red Notice after top judge slips into Brazil
Arrest warrant over alleged drug trafficking, Interpol process and fugitive status preparation underway.
Bolivia is seeking an Interpol Red Notice for Romer Saucedo, the Supreme Court president accused of crossing into Brazil after an arrest warrant was signed, without any migration alert being activated.
Saucedo was targeted when a drug trafficking and criminal organization arrest warrant was signed on November 3, 2026, by the La Paz Departmental Prosecutor's Office. The next day, he left Bolivia by land, traveling with his wife and three children toward Brazil.
Interior Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo later confirmed that no migration alert had been activated at the moment Saucedo crossed the border. Prosecutors say the warrant had just been signed and the checkpoint systems had not flagged him.
Bolivia is also preparing a declaration of fugitive status, known as declaratoria de rebeldía, a legal step required under Bolivian law before extradition proceedings can formally begin. Interim Prosecutor General José Armando Urioste said the Interpol request is being processed and must go through Interpol Bolivia before reaching Interpol's Secretary General for a decision on publication criteria.
The case is tied to the so-called Caso Maletas, stemming from an incident on November 29, 2025, at Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz. A charter flight from the United States arrived carrying about 32 suitcases that allegedly bypassed customs controls and were transferred to a private warehouse. When prosecutors raided the warehouse in January 2026, the luggage had disappeared and was reportedly replaced by more than 70 kilograms of marijuana and drug-processing equipment.
Prosecutors say the alleged owner of the seized drugs and equipment was identified by former congresswoman Laura Rojas as Saucedo, who denied the allegations. The wider investigation gained momentum after OCCRP reported that a leaked video involving drug kingpin Sebastián Marset triggered mass arrests across Bolivia’s justice system.
Bolivia’s authorities have not confirmed Saucedo’s exact location. Urioste disclosed unofficial reports placing him in Corumbá, a border city in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
Saucedo is wanted and facing Interpol procedures and a fugitive-status declaration as Bolivia moves toward potential extradition.
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Source:
Latin Times