Sebastian Marset: Uruguay native charged in U.S. despite no alleged shipments to America

What is he charged with in the United States?

Marset arrived in federal custody in Alexandria, Virginia, after being captured earlier this year. His initial indictment charged money laundering. Prosecutors later added counts alleging conspiracy to smuggle cocaine on the high seas and narco-terrorism. Court records cited cryptocurrency holdings and financial transactions tied to his network as part of the evidence the U.S. brought forward.

Why Marset's defense challenges the U.S. case

Marset and his lawyers argue that the Virginia prosecution lacks jurisdiction because his alleged trafficking did not involve shipments to the United States. Defense filings point out that Marset is not accused of ever sending a gram of cocaine to the U.S. The laundering allegation, the defense says, depends on a single transaction — out of more than 200 the government identified — that prosecutors claim passed through a bank server in Richmond, Virginia.

In his first interview since arrest, Marset told The Times he does not understand why he is being held by U.S. authorities. He denied owing anything to the United States and questioned the basis for his detention in Virginia.

How he was captured and what officials say about his network

Bolivian intelligence agents arrested Marset in March, according to his account, which described a forceful seizure at his home and immediate transfer to an airport. U.S. prosecutors allege he partnered with major criminal groups in the region, including Brazil's Primeiro Comando da Capital and Colombia's Clan del Golfo. Those groups have been designated by the U.S. administration as foreign terrorist organizations.

Court materials and media reports link Marset to substantial cryptocurrency holdings and to living a high-profile lifestyle while on the run. He reportedly invested illicit funds in soccer by buying a position on teams he financed. Prosecutors have also alleged violent acts tied to his organization, including an accusation that he ordered an attack on Uruguay's anti-narcotics police and that he ordered killings of suspected betrayers. Marset denies those allegations.

The prosecution takes place against the backdrop of U.S. policy moves that have broadened criminal designations and enforcement tools. The Trump administration expanded its use of terrorist designations for cartels and pressed foreign partners on detention and renditions, while also carrying out aggressive interdiction efforts against suspected cocaine-carrying vessels. Critics say those moves stretch traditional jurisdictional lines and due process norms.

The central legal question is whether the U.S. can maintain criminal jurisdiction over Marset given the record that he did not ship drugs into the United States and that the laundering theory hinges on a limited banking connection. Court decisions on those jurisdictional challenges will determine whether the expanded charges survive in Virginia federal court.