Bolivian authorities have apprehended a former senior judge on accusations of drug trafficking, marking another development in the US-supported anti-drug campaign targeting corrupt officials across Latin America. Aldo Quezada was taken into custody at his Santa Cruz residence in eastern Bolivia on Wednesday, following allegations of drug trafficking and criminal association. The former chief justice of the Santa Cruz departmental court had previously stepped down from his position last month after being included on a US visa restrictions list for suspected ties to narcotics trafficking.
In a similar move, the United States has revoked visas for officials in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru under the same policy. Quezada is one of several high-ranking Bolivian judicial figures detained since September on suspicions of connections to drug cartels. Previously, former Attorney General Roger Mariaca was arrested on September 30, also charged with money laundering and drug trafficking offenses, with authorities discovering hidden cash stashes from his home.
In September 2025, the Trump administration imposed visa restrictions on twelve Bolivian nationals and their families, as reported by the US State Department. The conservative president of Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz, assumed office in November 2025, marking an end to nearly two decades of Movement for Socialism (MAS) rule, and has been seeking closer ties with the United States. Under President Donald Trump's leadership, Paz signed his country up to the "Shield of the Americas," a new US-backed security alliance aimed at enhancing regional security.