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Bolivian authorities have arrested former senior judge Aldo Quezada on suspicion of drug trafficking and criminal association, in a case that is drawing renewed attention to alleged links between public officials and organised crime in Latin America.
Prosecutor Marcelo Inchausti confirmed that Quezada was arrested at his home in Santa Cruz on Wednesday as part of a wider crackdown targeting officials suspected of involvement in cartel-related activities. Quezada had resigned as chief justice of the Santa Cruz departmental court last month after being placed on a US visa restrictions list over alleged links to drug trafficking.
The action forms part of a broader US-backed effort targeting officials across the region, with Washington also cancelling the visas of officials in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru under the same policy. The arrest underscores growing scrutiny of alleged corruption and criminal networks within public institutions across Latin America.
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