Bolivia extradits former anti-drug chief to US

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

Maximiliano Davila, also known as “Macho”, is accused of promoting cocaine trafficking into the US during his tenure as head of Bolivia’s anti-narcotics agency.

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

Davila was imprisoned in Bolivia since February 2022 on corruption charges.

That same month, US authorities unsealed an indictment charging the 60-year-old with cocaine trafficking and related weapons charges.

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

It says Davila took advantage of his position to “protect the planes 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 of life imprisonment, according to US documents.

In 2022 the State Department offered a reward of up to $5 million (£4m) for information leading to his conviction.

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

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

“Bolivians have been handed over to the North American Empire, in violation of international agreements, without trial in their homeland, where they allegedly committed the crimes,” he said.

In 2008, Morales expelled the US ambassador and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from Bolivia on charges of plotting against his government.

Morales himself is under investigation for alleged statutory rape and human trafficking, which he denies. His supporters recently staged a nationwide blockade for weeks demanding an end to the investigation against him.

In November, he Shared a video of him shooting at his carWhat he called an “assassination attempt” against him.

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