Bolivia: Alleged Drug Trafficker Sebastian Marset Sends Video to Police, Thanks Them for 'Tip-Off'
Sebastian Marset, a suspected drug trafficker currently the subject of an international manhunt, has released a video to the media thanking Bolivia police, claiming they warned him of an impending arrest attempt. RICARDO MONTERO/AFP via Getty Images

Bolivia authorities conducted a raid at Sebastian Marset's residence on Saturday.

Marset, 32, an alleged drug trafficker, is a wanted individual in his native Uruguay and Brazil, Paraguay, and the US. Despite the operation, he managed to evade capture, per BBC.

Bolivian police have denied warning Marset and are actively continuing their search efforts.

Over 2,250 police officers have been deployed in pursuit of him, but he has thus far managed to elude their grasp.

During the arrest attempt in Santa Cruz, a Bolivian city, Marset's bodyguards took one officer hostage, allowing him, his wife, and their children to escape.

In the following days, authorities searched eight different properties and detained twelve individuals with suspected connections to the fugitive, yet they could not locate him.

Marset sent a video to Bolivia media Wednesday, in which he seemed to absolve those arrested, claiming they are not involved in his activities.

He expressed gratitude towards the director of Bolivia's Special Force against Drug Trafficking (Felcn), attributing his successful evasion to a warning from the director about an impending arrest warrant.

He mentioned that he could leave the area with some money due to this tip.

Sebastian MarseBolivia Wants Drones From Iran; Sends Threats to Uruguay, Bolivia Press

The fugitive Uruguayan drug lord, Sebastián Marset, has issued a chilling threat to Uruguayan news outlet Telenoche (Canal 4), warning them to stop publishing articles about him, according to MercoPress.

The threatening message, sent via WhatsApp, was accompanied by a photo displaying 24 Glock pistol magazines arranged in a box.

The journalists at Telenoche received the message during their Wednesday 5 broadcast and noted that the photo appeared to be original, not sourced from the internet or connected to recent raids on Marset's mansion in Bolivia.

What made the threat even more alarming was the origin of the number from which it was sent - with the prefix of the Falkland Islands (+500).

Interestingly, this same number had been used by Marset in August 2022 when he previously sent videos to Telenoche denying his involvement in the assassination of Paraguayan prosecutor Marcelo Pecci.

In response to the threat, Uruguayan Interior Minister Luis Alberto Heber assured the journalists of their safety and expressed solidarity with them.

He emphasized the importance of protecting free journalism, which informs the public, and promised full support and security from the government and the Ministry of the Interior.

Sebastian Marset

Sebastian Enrique Marset Cabrera's life has been marked by involvement in illegal activities, particularly drug trafficking.

Born in Montevideo on April 10, 1991, he started selling marijuana as a teenager in his neighborhood. However, his criminal activities escalated, and he faced multiple prosecutions for drug-related offenses, Breaking Latest News noted.

In 2012, at the age of 20, Marset was prosecuted for receiving marijuana, and a year later, he faced possession charges.

Subsequently, in 2013, he was imprisoned for drug trafficking following the seizure of a significant amount of marijuana weighing 170 kilos.

During his time in prison, he claimed to be connected to a larger drug operation involving the transportation of 450 kilos of marijuana, which had been confiscated in Uruguay in 2012.

The drugs were transported in a small plane by Juan Domingo "Papacho" Viveros Cartes, the uncle of then-Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes (2013-18).

After his release from prison in 2018, Marset faced more legal trouble. He was accused of the murder of Alfredo Rondán, a childhood friend with whom he had drug-related debts, according to Uruguayan authorities. This led to his dismissal in 2020.

Marset is not a wanted fugitive in Uruguay, but the Prosecutor's Office is actively investigating him for his involvement in drug trafficking.

He has also been linked to a recent drug smuggling case where 265 kilos of cocaine were seized, concealed within wooden boards, before being shipped to Europe.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Bolivia announces arrests relating to alleged drug trafficker Sebastian Marset Cabrera's case - From AFP