Lawyers representing accused drug kingpin Sebastián Marset filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia seeking authorization for a private, unmonitored meeting ahead of his federal trial scheduled for January 11, 2027. According to court filings submitted by U.S. defense attorneys Sandi Rhee and Joseph King, prison authorities at the Alexandria Detention Center have blocked Uruguayan defense attorney Santiago Moratorio from holding confidential consultations with Marset, who faces narco-terrorism and drug distribution charges.
Legal Defense Team Seeks Access Ahead of Virginia Trial
Marset’s U.S. counsel petitioned Judge Rossie Alston Jr. to overturn restrictions enforced by the Alexandria Detention Center, according to court documents cited by the Uruguayan outlet Búsqueda. Moratorio, who has represented Marset for six years across multiple jurisdictions, argues that an in-person, unmonitored consultation is necessary to coordinate a multi-country defense strategy. Current facility rules restrict communication to monitored phone calls and screened written correspondence, which the defense states violates attorney-client privilege. Moratorio stated in a sworn affidavit that he must discuss how the federal prosecution in Virginia intersects with open criminal cases in Bolivia, Uruguay, and other nations.
Multijurisdictional Criminal Charges Against Marset
The legal proceedings in the United States run parallel to extensive investigations in South America. According to statements from Bolivian Attorney General Roger Mariaca, Bolivian prosecutors have filed nine separate criminal cases against Marset’s network. Six of those investigations began after Marset evaded a high-profile police raid on July 29, 2023, in the northern sector of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Three additional cases were opened following his subsequent capture on March 13, 2026, at a residence on Piraí Avenue. Attorney General Mariaca specified that these domestic proceedings involve charges of weapons trafficking, controlled substance trafficking, money laundering, and criminal organization.
Federal Charges and Extradition Background
Marset was captured on March 13, 2026, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, concluding a four-year manhunt involving coordination between the Bolivian Special Force to Fight Drug Trafficking (FELCN), Paraguay’s National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD), and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Following his arrest, authorities immediately extradited him to the United States. He is currently detained in Virginia facing a federal indictment that includes conspiracy to distribute cocaine, narco-terrorism conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy. Prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia maintain that Marset operated an international drug trafficking syndicate and intend to call witnesses from Uruguay, Colombia, and Belgium during the trial set for January 2027. If convicted, Marset faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Worth a look