LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Former Bolivian Interior Minister Arturo Murillo was arrested at the airport on Thursday after being deported from the United States to face multiple criminal charges, including crimes against humanity for ordering a deadly crackdown on protesters in 2019.
Murillo had just completed a four-year sentence in U.S. federal prison for money laundering. He was convicted of accepting $532,000 in bribes from a Florida-based company to secure a government contract for tear gas sales—a deal allegedly riddled with corruption and inflated pricing.
Upon his expulsion from Miami, U.S. authorities handed Murillo over to Bolivian officials in Santa Cruz. He was immediately flown to La Paz, where prosecutors confirmed he will be held at the maximum-security Chonchocoro prison.
Murillo, who served in Bolivia’s interim government following the ousting of former President Evo Morales, has already been tried and sentenced in absentia in two cases. He now faces additional charges, including:
Crimes against humanity
Homicide
Money laundering
Aggravated theft
Abuse of authority
Influence-peddling
These charges stem from his role in a violent response to anti-government demonstrations and his part in the controversial procurement of tear gas intended for crowd control.
Murillo’s arrest marks a significant development in Bolivia’s pursuit of justice for alleged human rights violations and government corruption during the country’s 2019 political crisis.
