Bolivia extradites former anti-drugs chief to US on drug trafficking charges

Bolivia has extradited its former anti-drugs director to the United States, where he faces drug trafficking charges.

Maximiliano Dávila, also known as “Macho”, is accused of facilitating cocaine smuggling to the US during his time as the head of Bolivia’s anti-narcotics agency.

His extradition, which took place on Thursday, was approved by Bolivia’s Supreme Court in late November. He denies any wrongdoing.

Dávila had been imprisoned in Bolivia on corruption charges since February 2022.

That same month, US officials unsealed an indictment accusing the 60-year-old of cocaine trafficking, and a related weapons charge.

The US Department of State alleges Dávila was involved in narcotics trafficking before and during his time as director of the Bolivian Special Forces for the Fight Against Drug Trafficking (FELCN).

It says Dávila exploited his position to “safeguard aircraft used to transport cocaine to third countries, for subsequent distribution in the United States”.

If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison, according to US documents.

The state department in 2022 offered a reward of up to $5m (£4m) for information that could lead to his conviction.

Dávila was FELCN director under former President Evo Morales, who governed Bolivia from 2006 to 2019.

Shortly after Dávila’s extradition, Morales criticised the move and said “Bolivia is once again a US Colony”, in a post on his X account.

“Bolivians are handed over to the North American Empire, violating international agreements, without first being tried in their homeland where they supposedly committed crimes”, he added.

In 2008, Morales expelled the US ambassador and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from Bolivia for allegedly conspiring against his government.

Morales himself is under investigation for alleged statutory rape and human trafficking, which he denies. His supporters recently staged blockades around the country for weeks demanding the end of the investigation against him.

In November, he shared a video of his car being shot at, in what he called an “assassination attempt” against him.

The Bolivian government rejected Morales’ claims that it was behind the attempt on his life.