Bolivia arrests ex-judge on suspicion of drug trafficking
LA PAZ: A former senior judge in Bolivia who was blacklisted by the United States was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of drug trafficking, officials said.
Bolivia has detained former judge Aldo Quezada on suspicion of drug trafficking, according to officials. Quezada, who was previously blacklisted by the United States, was taken into custody at his residence in Santa Cruz, eastern Bolivia, on Wednesday. The arrest came after a number of high-ranking officials in Bolivia's justice system, including former attorney general Roger Mariaca, have been accused of ties to drug cartels since September.
Quezada resigned last month as chief justice of a Santa Cruz provincial court following his addition to the US sanctions list due to alleged drug trafficking links. The United States revoked Quezada's visa, along with those of officials from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, for the same reason. Police, armed with automatic weapons, surrounded Quezada's home during his arrest.
Bolivia's center-right president, Rodrigo Paz, is striving for improved relations with the United States and has joined US President Donald Trump's Shield of the Americas alliance, aimed at combating drug cartels.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
