Uruguayan Drug Kingpin Sebastian Marset Challenges US Jurisdiction in Federal Case
Accused Uruguayan drug kingpin Sebastián Enrique Marset Cabrera is challenging his federal prosecution in Alexandria, Virginia, arguing that U.S. authorities lack jurisdiction because his alleged multi-ton cocaine shipments were bound exclusively for Europe, according to court records cited by the Los Angeles Times.
Marset, a 35-year-old national of Uruguay, is currently jailed in Alexandria, Virginia, facing federal charges that include money laundering, high-seas cocaine smuggling, and narco-terrorism, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. U.S. prosecutors allege he operated as the leader of a criminal network known as the Primer Cartel Uruguayo.
The central argument in Marset’s defense centers on the geographic scope of his alleged trafficking activities. According to legal filings cited by the Los Angeles Times, Marset is not accused by federal authorities of sending a single gram of cocaine into the United States. Defense attorneys argue that stretching federal jurisdiction to prosecute him in Virginia exceeds normal boundaries since his shipments allegedly moved from South America toward Europe.
To establish a financial nexus to Virginia, prosecutors point to a single $31,800 wire transfer from a bank in Portugal to a bank in China on February 18, 2021, which they state passed through a Bank of America computer server in the state, according to the Los Angeles Times. Marset’s legal team counters that he took no personal action regarding the transfer and suggests the funds actually routed through Pennsylvania, calling the Virginia link incidental and unforeseeable.
In response to the defense motions, prosecutors indicated they would introduce trial evidence showing that cocaine shipments linked to the network eventually reached the United States, according to the Los Angeles Times. However, court records and available reporting note that Marset has not been separately charged with direct distribution inside the country.
Cryptocurrency Holdings and Financial Evidence
Federal court records indicate that approximately $4 million in cryptocurrency was linked to electronic devices seized when Marset was taken into custody, according to the Los Angeles Times. Prosecutors have framed these digital assets as proceeds of a money laundering conspiracy, utilizing a digital paper trail alongside traditional bank wire transfers.
Reporting from the Los Angeles Times notes that available evidence describes cryptocurrency as one alleged channel for drug proceeds rather than proof of a crypto-native criminal enterprise. Investigators have not asserted that Marset operated a digital asset exchange, issued a token, or ran an investment scheme. The Drug Enforcement Administration announced Marset’s transfer into U.S. custody in March 2026, focusing its initial announcements on money laundering conspiracy counts involving American financial institutions, according to a DEA press release.
Arrest in Bolivia and Prior Operations
Prior to his transfer to American custody, Marset was tracked across multiple jurisdictions, having previously spent time jailed in Dubai before securing his release and disappearing, according to the Los Angeles Times. Bolivian intelligence agents apprehended him around 3 a.m. on March 13, 2026, during a raid on his residence, according to the Los Angeles Times.
U.S. prosecutors allege that Marset built his trafficking network by partnering with major South American organizations, including Brazil’s Primeiro Comando da Capital and Colombia’s Clan del Golfo, both of which have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the United States government, according to the Los Angeles Times. While on the run, Marset allegedly amassed significant wealth, utilized illicit funds to participate in professional soccer teams, and earned a reputation as a prominent regional trafficker before facing extradition and federal indictment in Virginia.