There’s a moment that tells you everything about Sebastián Marset. It’s May 29, 2021, at a dusty stadium in Paraguay. Marset is stepping up to take a crucial penalty kick. His team is tied 1-1. The crowd is tense. He swings his leg — and blasts the ball five feet over the crossbar. Even the security guard kicks the dirt in frustration.
What the crowd doesn’t know is that the man who just missed that penalty is one of the most wanted drug traffickers in South America. He’s running a cocaine empire that ships tons of product to Europe, bribing officials, laundering millions through shell companies — and all the while, paying people off just to let him play soccer.
That’s Sebastián Marset. Part cartel boss, part frustrated athlete, and entirely one of the most fascinating and dangerous criminals of his generation.
On March 13, 2026, Bolivian police finally caught up with him in a pre-dawn raid in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Within hours, he was on a U.S. government plane headed to face federal charges. This is his story.
Who Is Sebastián Marset?
Sebastián Enrique Marset Cabrera was born on April 10, 1991, in Montevideo, Uruguay. He’s the founder and alleged leader of an international cocaine trafficking network known as the Primer Cartel Uruguayo — or the First Uruguayan Cartel.
By the time he was captured, the DEA considered him one of South America’s most notorious drug traffickers, with a $2 million U.S. bounty on his head.
Why the World Knows His Name
Most drug lords hide. Marset didn’t. He stamped his cocaine shipments with the phrase “The King of the South.” He bought professional soccer teams — and then inserted himself into the starting lineup. He gave a TV interview while on the run. He even appeared in a video flanked by armed men, making threats to a rival.
Though mainly associated with drug trafficking and money laundering, Marset was also connected to several murders, including the 2022 assassination of Paraguayan anti-mafia prosecutor Marcelo Pecci.
He’s not just a drug lord. He’s a symbol of a new kind of organized crime — mobile, media-savvy, globally connected, and completely shameless.
Growing Up in Piedras Blancas — The Making of a Drug Lord
Montevideo’s Changing Neighborhoods in the 1990s–2000s
Marset was born in Piedras Blancas, a neighborhood of small split-level homes on the outskirts of Montevideo. Uruguay had long considered itself the “Switzerland of South America,” with among the lowest crime rates on the continent. But in Piedras Blancas, as Marset entered his teenage years, young men suddenly appeared selling and trafficking drugs. Homicides ticked up.
The country’s self-image as a safe, stable democracy was about to crack — and Marset would be part of that cracking.
The Skinny Kid Who Wanted to Be the Next Beckham
He was a good student — skinny, bright, and a bit theatrical in class. He played street soccer with makeshift goals and shirt numbers drawn with markers because real uniforms were too expensive. He worked at a gas station, spent his earnings on a David Beckham jacket, and chased a dream of glamour he couldn’t yet afford.
It’s a detail that humanizes him in the most uncomfortable way. He wasn’t born into crime. He wanted to be a footballer. He idolized Beckham. He was saving up.
But the dream of soccer stardom slipped away. He was mediocre at football — too slow on his toes, weak in his passes, and destined to go no further than semi-pro. That failure, it seems, left a door open for something else entirely.
Early Arrests and the Slide into Serious Crime
In 2009, at 18, he was arrested for possession of stolen goods. At 19, for possession of narcotics. By 22, he was caught smuggling marijuana and weapons into Uruguay in an operation that involved the uncle of Paraguay’s then-president.
One of the arresting officers later recalled saying: “This guy is going to be a big problem for us someday.” That turned out to be a serious understatement.
From Prison to Power: Marset’s Years Behind Bars (2013–2018)
What Really Happened Inside Uruguay’s Libertad Prison
Marset was arrested for his involvement in a drug shipment in 2013 and sent to Uruguay’s Libertad prison, one of Uruguay’s deadliest prisons, according to a study by the University of the Republic of Uruguay.
Most people go to prison and come out worse off. Marset came out with a plan and a global network.
The Connections He Made — PCC, ‘Ndrangheta, and the Balkans
Marset was imprisoned alongside incarcerated members of Brazil’s First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital – PCC), as well as ‘Ndrangheta, and Balkan mafias.
Prison, for Marset, was essentially a postgraduate degree in international organized crime. He studied his cellmates the way other people study for exams. He learned the routes, the contacts, the codes.
How a Clerical Error Set Him Free
Here’s where Uruguay’s justice system handed Marset an unbelievable gift. Although he faced other outstanding charges, due to a clerical error, Marset was released after finishing his drug trafficking sentence in 2018.
He’d done roughly five years. And he walked out ready.
Building the Primer Cartel Uruguayo (PCU)
Why Montevideo’s Port Was the Perfect Gateway to Europe
This is the part of the story that explains why Marset mattered — and why he was able to build an empire where others hadn’t.
Large drug shipments had rarely moved south, into Paraguay and Uruguay. But Montevideo, Marset’s hometown, had a port that dispatched massive quantities of commercial goods to Europe daily. For the traffickers, it was a nearly untapped source of revenue. And Marset realized that he was sitting right on top of it.
It wasn’t genius, exactly. But it was smart. He spotted an opening that the big Mexican and Colombian cartels had overlooked, and he moved quickly.
Setting Up Shop in Paraguay — Shell Companies and the Insfrán Clan
After his release from prison, Marset settled in Paraguay, where he created shell companies such as Total Cars to launder money. He aligned himself with the Insfrán crime syndicate, a powerful Paraguayan criminal family with deep connections in the drug trade.
Following his release in 2018, Marset relocated to Paraguay, aligning himself with the Insfrán crime syndicate — led by the brothers Miguel Ángel Insfrán, alias “Tio Rico,” and José Alberto Insfrán, alias “The Pastor,” both of whom are currently imprisoned in Asunción facing drug trafficking charges.
Concert Promotion as a Money Laundering Cover
One of the more creative chapters of Marset’s story involves the music business. During his time in Paraguay, Marset also pursued legitimate ventures, including concert promotion and music production.
Part of his cover was to portray himself as a show business entrepreneur, organizing concerts in several Latin American countries. By the end of 2019, Marset’s name began to appear online in promotional-style articles that described him as a “renowned producer.”
It was a facade — and a convincing one. He owned companies in both Colombia and Paraguay under variations of the name “Mastian Productions,” which prosecutors say were used to disguise drug trafficking proceeds as entertainment revenue.
The Soccer Double Life — Buying His Way Onto the Pitch
Deportivo Capiatá and the Famous Missed Penalty
In April 2021, he signed as a player with the local football club, Deportivo Capiatá. He drove a Lamborghini to training. He wore Rolexes and gold chains. He was covered in tattoos. He had zero business being on a professional pitch — and everyone knew it.
Marset was a mediocre player, with the skills of someone whose career peaked in high school. But when Capiatá’s coach kept him on the bench, the players encircled the coach and told him that Marset needed to play.
It’s not hard to guess why the players took that position.
The Number 10 Jersey That Cost $10,000 in Cash
Marset paid $10,000 in cash to wear the number 10 jersey worn by football icons Pelé, Maradona, and Messi during his teams’ games.
He didn’t want to be anonymous. He wanted to be seen. For a man who had grown up poor in Piedras Blancas, wearing the number 10 jersey at a professional club wasn’t just a money-laundering tactic — it felt personal.
Using Soccer Transfers to Launder Millions
The clubs weren’t just about vanity. They were financial instruments. As Sebastián Marset moved between soccer teams, he was also playing with ways the sport could be used to turn illicit funds into clean cash.
The scheme involved inflating player transfer fees — buying low-value players for cheap from South America and then “selling” them to mid-level European teams at massively inflated prices, with Marset’s own money funding the transaction. Clean cash at the end of it.
Teams He Owned or Influenced
The list of clubs connected to Marset is remarkable. There was Deportivo Capiatá in Paraguay. Then Leones de El Torno in Bolivia, where he also played. Then Rubio Ñu and River Plate de Paraguay. His brother Diego served as a liaison between the cartel and some of these clubs. By the time investigators pieced it all together, a 500-page Paraguayan report described Marset as having built a small empire around “the universe of soccer within his money laundering scheme.”
The Dubai Incident and the Uruguayan Passport Scandal
Arrested on a Fake Paraguayan Passport
In October 2021, Marset’s jet-setting lifestyle hit a snag. He was detained in Dubai for traveling under a fake Paraguayan passport. He’d actually used the document multiple times. It caught up with him on the fourth attempt.
He was placed in a UAE detention cell. For most criminals, this would have been the end. For Marset, it was barely an interruption.
How Uruguay Issued a New Passport to a Wanted Drug Lord
Here’s the part that caused a political earthquake back home. While in detention, he applied for and obtained a Uruguayan passport issued in accordance with the regulations in force at the time. Despite warnings from Uruguay’s own ambassador to the UAE, the government rushed through a new document.
Dubai released him. He disappeared.
The Political Fallout — Resignations and Legal Reform
The government’s approval and rushed delivery of Marset’s passport became a massive scandal in Uruguay, leading numerous high-level officials to resign. The episode forced a national conversation about document security, government accountability, and how a convicted drug trafficker had been able to obtain official travel documents from inside a foreign jail cell.
The episode triggered a political scandal in Uruguay, which led to the resignations of several high-ranking officials and the subsequent modification of the regulations that had allowed the procedure.
Operation A Ultranza PY — Paraguay’s Biggest Drug Bust
What the Investigation Uncovered
In early 2022, Paraguay launched the most ambitious anti-drug operation in its history. The investigation, dubbed Operation A Ultranza PY, brought criminal charges against Marset and 23 others, and arrested eight individuals, including Alberto Koube Ayala, a key partner who helped Marset launder his money.
The 16+ Tons of Cocaine Linked to Marset
The numbers are staggering. The investigation linked a criminal network led by Marset to more than 16 tons of cocaine seized in Europe, including an 11-ton seizure at the port of Antwerp in April 2021 and another 4.7-ton seizure of cocaine in Paraguay.
That single Antwerp seizure — 11 tons — is one of the largest cocaine busts in European history. It was stamped with the “King of the South” logo.
Key Associates Arrested and Their Roles
The operation swept up not just street-level operatives, but national politicians, prominent businessmen, and figures tied to local soccer clubs. The investigation also issued an INTERPOL Red Notice for Marset in March 2022 — a global arrest warrant recognized by law enforcement in nearly 200 countries.
The Murder of Prosecutor Marcelo Pecci
Who Was Marcelo Pecci?
Marcelo Pecci was the kind of prosecutor who scared powerful people. He had dedicated his career to pursuing drug trafficking and organized crime in Paraguay — one of the most dangerous jobs in South America.
The Assassination on a Honeymoon in Colombia
Marset is accused of being the mastermind behind the murder of Paraguayan prosecutor Marcelo Pecci, which occurred on May 10, 2022, in Cartagena, Colombia, during his honeymoon.
A hitman approached Pecci as he relaxed on a beach with his new wife, who was pregnant. He was shot and killed in front of her. The world was horrified. Colombian President Gustavo Petro publicly accused Marset of ordering the hit.
Evidence Linking Marset to the Hit
In January 2025, Francisco Luis Correa Galeano, who Colombian prosecutors said handled logistics for the assassination of Pecci, was murdered in prison. His notebook contained references believed to implicate Marset and Insfrán in Pecci’s killing.
Life as a Fugitive — The Years on the Run (2022–2026)
The Santa Cruz Mansion and the Luxury Lifestyle
After the heat intensified in Paraguay, in 2022, Marset began hiding primarily in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, living in a mansion in the El Urubó area with his wife, Gianina García Troche, and their children.
“Hiding” is generous. He was buying property, joining a local soccer club as a player, and living openly in one of Bolivia’s wealthiest neighborhoods.
The 2023 Bolivia Raid He Escaped
It all nearly ended in July 2023. A Bolivian raid seized weapons, luxury vehicles, and exotic animals, but Marset escaped. He later claimed — in what became an infamous video — that he’d been tipped off by officers within Bolivia’s own security forces.
The 2023 TV Interview Where He Spoke Publicly
In November 2023, Marset appeared on Uruguayan television, where he said he learned a lot in prison and that it was good for his career. He admitted to some involvement in the drug business, but tried to paint himself as a family man who would not involve relatives in his criminal activities.
It was an extraordinary moment. One of the world’s most wanted fugitives, sitting on camera, talking to a national TV audience. He appeared calm. Almost proud.
The PCC Threat Video and the “King of the South” Brand
In October 2025, Marset recorded a video flanked by armed men in front of a banner with a logo for the PCC, Brazil’s most powerful gang, threatening a former partner he accused of trying to take over his cocaine network.
By this point, Marset wasn’t just a fugitive. He was a brand. His cocaine bricks carried his label. His videos had an audience. He understood attention in a way that older cartel bosses simply didn’t.
The Family Behind the Cartel
Wife Gianina García Troche — Arrested in Spain, Extradited to Paraguay
Marset didn’t operate alone. His wife, Gianina García Troche, was deeply involved in the financial side of the operation. She was arrested in Spain in 2024 and extradited to Paraguay for money laundering. She’s accused of setting up front companies to help launder cocaine proceeds.
Brother Diego Marset — The Other Fugitive
Diego Nicolás Marset Alba, a reputed drug kingpin and brother to the leader of the Primer Cartel Uruguayo, was arrested in Brazil on December 26 as part of a regional police operation involving INTERPOL bureaus in Brasilia, La Paz, Asuncion, and Montevideo. Diego had been avoiding arrest using multiple false identities across four countries.
How Marset Claimed to Keep Family Separate from Crime
In his 2023 TV interview, Marset made a point of saying he’d tried to keep his family out of his criminal world. Given that his wife faces money laundering charges and his brother ran a parallel trafficking operation, that claim is difficult to take seriously.
The $2 Million Bounty and the DEA’s Hunt
When Marset Was Added to the DEA’s Most Wanted List
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration added Sebastián Enrique Marset Cabrera to its Most Wanted Fugitives List as it continued to investigate his alleged drug trafficking and money laundering operations.
The Federal Indictment in Virginia
In May 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted him for conspiracy to launder money through the U.S. financial system. The indictment was unsealed in the Eastern District of Virginia. Prosecutors alleged that in a span of less than five months, a close associate directed the movement of at least $8 million in drug-trafficking funds through U.S. banks.
How International Cooperation Finally Closed In
The investigation was conducted in coordination with Paraguay’s Anti-Drug Secretariat (SIU-SENAD), the Uruguayan Interior Ministry, Europol, and the DEA Asuncion Country Office.
This wasn’t one country chasing one man. It was a coalition. And it worked.
Captured: The March 2026 Operation in Santa Cruz
How the Dawn Raid Was Planned
The operation began in the early hours of Friday in Las Palmas, a neighborhood situated near the Abasto market in Santa Cruz. Residents awoke to streets cordoned off by a heavy contingent of the Special Force Against Drug Trafficking (FELN) and the Prosecutor’s Office for Controlled Substances. According to government officials, authorities simultaneously raided two properties: Marset’s primary residence and a separate safe house.
The Arrest — Without a Single Casualty
On March 13, 2026, Marset was captured along with four other people — two Venezuelans, a Colombian, and a relative named Tatiana Marset Alba. The operation, coordinated with international intelligence and the DEA, began in the early morning without incident.
No gunfight. No dramatic chase. After years of missed opportunities, the end was almost quiet.
Extradition to the United States via Lima
Hours later, he departed Bolivia by DEA plane and began his extradition to the United States, with a stopover in Lima, Peru, to face charges of money laundering and drug trafficking.
The Bolivian authorities announced the seizure of some $15 million in assets from Marset, including 16 planes, five houses, and firearms.
Bolivia’s Political Shift and the Role of President Rodrigo Paz
The timing of the arrest wasn’t coincidental. Marset’s arrest coincided with a renewed push from the United States to more aggressively address drug trafficking across the Western Hemisphere. Bolivia’s government demonstrated a willingness to partner with the U.S. on those efforts.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz celebrated the arrest as a milestone in the fight against drug trafficking on the continent, saying one of the four biggest drug traffickers on the continent had fallen.
What Charges Does Marset Face — and What’s the Likely Outcome?
Money Laundering Conspiracy in the Eastern District of Virginia
Marset faces money laundering conspiracy charges connected to his alleged cocaine trafficking organization. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of money laundering conspiracy.
The indictment also alleges he led a large-scale drug trafficking organization responsible for moving tons of cocaine from South America to Europe.
Paraguay’s Competing Extradition Request
The U.S. isn’t the only country that wants Marset in court. Paraguay has said it will also seek Marset’s extradition so he can stand trial in the country. Given that Paraguay’s case includes alleged involvement in the Pecci assassination, extradition proceedings could become complicated. U.S. charges typically take priority when there’s a competition.
Potential Sentence If Convicted
If convicted on U.S. federal money laundering conspiracy charges alone, Marset faces up to 20 years. If prosecutors add drug trafficking charges — which seems likely given the evidence — the exposure is significantly higher. His associate Federico Santoro, who handled just part of Marset’s laundering operation, received 15 years after pleading guilty.
The Broader Impact — What Marset’s Rise Says About Modern Drug Trafficking
Sebastián Marset represents something new in the world of organized crime. He’s not a Pablo Escobar — no private zoo, no political assassinations of presidents. He’s something more contemporary and, in some ways, more dangerous.
He was mobile. He used fake identities from multiple countries and moved between continents with ease. He was financially sophisticated — using concert promotions, soccer clubs, shell companies, and U.S. banking institutions to clean his money. He understood media and self-mythologizing, stamping his product with a brand name and giving TV interviews while on the run.
The “Narco Millennial” label fits. He grew up in the internet age, understood how appearances work, and used every tool at his disposal — legal and illegal — to build a global operation from a working-class neighborhood in Montevideo.
His capture signals something too. The cooperation between Bolivia, the DEA, Uruguay, Paraguay, Europol, and INTERPOL that finally brought him down shows what’s possible when governments stop operating in silos. Whether that coordination outlasts this particular moment remains to be seen.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sebastián Marset
Q: Who is Sebastián Marset? Sebastián Marset is a Uruguayan drug trafficker born in 1991 who founded the Primer Cartel Uruguayo (PCU), a cocaine trafficking and money laundering network that shipped tons of cocaine from South America to European ports. He was captured in Bolivia on March 13, 2026, and extradited to the United States.
Q: Where is Sebastián Marset now? As of March 2026, Marset is in U.S. federal custody after being extradited from Bolivia. He made his first appearance in a federal district court in Virginia and faces charges of money laundering conspiracy.
Q: Was Sebastián Marset really a professional soccer player? Yes — though he used bribery and intimidation to stay on the field. He played for Deportivo Capiatá in Paraguay, Leones de El Torno in Bolivia, and was connected to other clubs. He reportedly paid $10,000 in cash just to wear a No. 10 jersey, and coaches were pressured to give him playing time despite his mediocre skills.
Q: What is the Primer Cartel Uruguayo (PCU)? The PCU, or First Uruguayan Cartel, is the trafficking network Marset allegedly built between 2018 and 2022. It coordinated cocaine shipments from Bolivia and Paraguay through Uruguayan ports to destinations in Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and elsewhere in Europe.
Q: Did Marset order the murder of Marcelo Pecci? Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused Marset of ordering the killing, and evidence gathered during Operation A Ultranza PY supports this allegation. A logistics coordinator for the assassination was later murdered in prison, and his notebook reportedly contained references implicating Marset and members of the Insfrán Clan.
Q: How did Marset get a Uruguayan passport while in a Dubai jail? Under Uruguayan regulations at the time, citizens abroad could apply for travel documents through consular channels. Despite warnings from Uruguay’s own ambassador to the UAE, the government processed Marset’s request. Dubai subsequently released him. The scandal led to the resignation of multiple Uruguayan officials and a change in the law.
Q: How many countries was Sebastián Marset wanted in? At the time of his capture, Marset was wanted in Paraguay, Bolivia, and the United States. He was also the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice — a global arrest alert. Paraguay had a local reward for his capture, while the U.S. State Department offered $2 million.
Q: What sentence could Marset face in the United States? On the money laundering conspiracy charge alone, Marset faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Prosecutors are likely to pursue additional charges related to drug trafficking, which could significantly increase that exposure. His associate, who handled only a portion of the laundering operation, was sentenced to 15 years after pleading guilty.