Bolivia Arrests Ex-Judge Aldo Quezada in US-Backed Drug Trafficking Crackdown

Bolivian authorities have apprehended a former senior judge, Aldo Quezada, on suspicion of drug trafficking and criminal association. The arrest, which took place at his home in Santa Cruz, eastern Bolivia, is part of a broader US-backed initiative targeting officials allegedly involved in cartel activities across Latin America. Prosecutor Marcelo Inchausti confirmed the details of the Wednesday arrest.

Quezada had recently resigned as chief justice of the Santa Cruz departmental court in November after being placed on a US visa restrictions list due to alleged ties to drug trafficking. This action by the United States is part of a policy that has also seen visas cancelled for officials in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Quezada's arrest follows a series of detentions of high-ranking Bolivian judicial officials since September, all suspected of links to drug cartels. Notably, former Attorney General Roger Mariaca was arrested on September 30 for alleged money laundering and drug trafficking, with law enforcement discovering significant amounts of cash being smuggled from his residence.

In September, the Trump administration announced visa restrictions on twelve Bolivian nationals and their families, as stated by the US State Department. These developments occur as Bolivia's conservative President Rodrigo Paz, who assumed office on November 8, 2025, ending nearly two decades of Movement for Socialism (MAS) governance, pursues closer relations with the United States. President Paz has committed Bolivia to President Donald Trump’s “Shield of the Americas,” a new US-backed security alliance for the region.