Sebastián Enrique Marset Cabrera, a 34-year-old Uruguayan national described by international authorities as a modern-day Pablo Escobar, has officially been captured. The highly sought-after fugitive, referred to in the criminal underworld as the “King of the South,” was apprehended in Bolivia on Friday following a coordinated police operation. After being secured by local law enforcement, he was quickly expelled from the nation and transferred directly into United States custody.
The confirmation that Sebastian Marset was arrested brings an end to a multi-year, international manhunt across the Southern Cone. Marset made his initial appearance in a U.S. federal court on Monday, where he faces charges of money laundering conspiracy tied to his alleged global cocaine trafficking enterprise.
Pre-Dawn Raid in Santa Cruz
The tactical operation to capture the notorious cartel leader commenced around 2 a.m. on Friday. Hundreds of heavily armed Bolivian security officials rapidly descended upon Las Palmas, an affluent neighborhood located in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Bolivian Interior Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo confirmed that the high-stakes raid was executed flawlessly, resulting in no reported fatalities or injuries.
During the sweep, authorities also detained five Venezuelan citizens accused of operating within Marset’s network. While the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had designated Marset as a top priority fugitive, Oviedo clarified that American agents did not actively participate in the physical capture. Instead, the DEA assisted heavily in facilitating his immediate transfer out of Bolivian territory. Guarded by a strict police detail, the cartel boss was transported to Viru Viru International Airport and placed on a flight bound for the United States.
Regional Leaders Praise the Capture
The successful apprehension drew immediate praise from senior government officials across South America. Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz publicly celebrated the capture on Friday, calling it a significant achievement for the region’s ongoing battle against organized drug trafficking.
In neighboring Paraguay, where Marset remains highly wanted on severe drug and money laundering charges, authorities expressed profound relief. Jalil Rachid, head of Paraguay’s National Anti-Drug Secretariat, confirmed his agency was notified by Bolivian officials shortly after the raid concluded. Rachid described the developments as encouraging, noting with satisfaction that the elusive fugitive had finally been secured.
The First Uruguayan Cartel
U.S. federal prosecutors accuse Marset of leading a transnational criminal organization known as the First Uruguayan Cartel. This syndicate is allegedly responsible for distributing massive quantities of cocaine from South America to global destinations, including Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Bolivian authorities noted that Marset utilized their country—a major cocaine producer and a transit hub for Peruvian drugs—as his primary operational base.
One notable European law enforcement seizure linked to his network occurred at the Belgian port of Antwerp, where authorities intercepted nearly 16 tons of cocaine. Beyond physical drug distribution, a U.S. indictment charges Marset with utilizing American financial institutions to strategically launder millions of dollars in illicit criminal proceeds.
Link to Prosecutor’s Assassination
Marset’s criminal portfolio allegedly extends far beyond narcotics distribution. He is heavily implicated in orchestrating the high-profile assassination of Marcelo Pecci, a dedicated Paraguayan prosecutor tasked with dismantling Marset’s underworld operations. In 2022, Pecci was fatally shot by assassins while celebrating his honeymoon on a beach in Colombia.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has publicly accused the Uruguayan kingpin of being the mastermind behind the murder. Furthermore, international prosecutors claim to possess recovered text messages in which Marset sought detailed advice on how to properly dispose of the bodies of his rivals.
A History of Forgeries and Escapes
The dramatic capture marks the end of a long criminal trajectory that began with a 2013 drug trafficking conviction in Uruguay. During his subsequent years in a Uruguayan prison, Marset reportedly forged alliances with Brazil’s Primeiro Comando da Capital and Italy’s ‘Ndrangheta mafia.
Following his release in 2019, he relocated to Paraguay using a counterfeit Bolivian passport under the alias Gabriel de Souza Beuner. Two years later, he was arrested in Dubai while traveling on a fraudulent Paraguayan passport. However, he legally exited the United Arab Emirates just days later after Uruguayan officials controversially issued him a new passport. This incident triggered a political scandal that forced multiple Uruguayan government officials to resign.
As investigations intensified, Marset fled back to Bolivia in 2022, utilizing a fake Brazilian passport under the name Paulo Amim Santos. His ability to elude capture frustrated multiple governments. In 2023, Bolivia offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. By May 2025, the U.S. State Department escalated the manhunt with a bounty of up to $2 million. Now, after evading authorities for nearly three years, the accused kingpin awaits trial in a U.S. federal courtroom.
