LA PAZ, Bolivia — On Wednesday, Bolivia’s supreme court sanctioned the extradition of a former anti-narcotics chief to the United States, where he faces serious accusations related to a cocaine smuggling conspiracy. This ruling marks a significant moment as it is uncommon for top security officials from Bolivia to be subjected to such actions, particularly given the historically strained interactions between the Andean nation and Washington.

This decision signifies the swift decline of Maximiliano Dávila-Perez, 59, who notably served as Bolivia’s top drug enforcement official in 2019 during the presidency of Evo Morales. Morales, Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, is recognized for his anti-imperialist stance and for expelling the U.S. ambassador and the Drug Enforcement Administration from the country back in 2008, claiming they instigated opposition against him.

Dávila-Perez, who previously held the rank of police colonel, had been indicted in New York in 2022 on multiple federal charges. These include conspiring to bring cocaine into the United States and possessing machine guns. The indictment alleged that he had abused his authoritative position to afford high-level protection to aircraft used for transporting cocaine through various countries for eventual distribution in the U.S. The U.S. Justice and State Departments even announced a reward up to $5 million for information leading to his conviction, although Dávila-Perez has consistently denied all allegations against him.

The Supreme Court of Justice in Bolivia confirmed its agreement to a formal request from the U.S. to extradite Dávila-Perez based on the drug conspiracy charges. However, both the State Department and the Department of Justice in the U.S. opted not to comment publicly on this development. Marco Jaimes, president of the court, remarked, “After reviewing the documentation and the corresponding evidence, it has been determined to proceed immediately with Dávila’s extradition.”

In Bolivia, Dávila-Perez is also under investigation for money laundering. He was apprehended in 2022 while reportedly attempting to escape to Argentina and is currently detained in La Paz. His tenure as the anti-narcotics chief lasted for nine months toward the end of Morales’ almost 14 years in office, which saw a sudden end in November 2019 due to street protests after his controversial re-election for a fourth term.

Following Morales’ removal, the interim government led by Jeanine Áñez dismissed Dávila-Perez from his post. However, he was later reinstated by Luis Arce, who is not only Morales’ former economy minister but was also his chosen candidate in the 2020 elections. Prior to his arrest, Dávila-Perez had spent a year as the police commander in Cochabamba, a critical area for coca leaf production in Bolivia.

While diplomatic relations between Bolivia and the U.S. have been fraught, with no ambassadors for many years and minimal diplomatic engagement, the two nations have maintained an extradition treaty since 1995. This case marks only the second time in the country’s history that a former military or government official has been approved for extradition to the United States, as noted by Saul Lara, an opposition lawmaker and former foreign minister. The first instance occurred in 1995 when Col. Faustino Rico Toro, linked to the brutal regime of dictator Luis Garcia Meza, was extradited to face cocaine trafficking charges.

Dávila-Perez’s legal team intends to challenge the extradition. Defense lawyer Manolo Rojas has stated that the case constitutes a serious violation of human rights and plans to escalate the matter to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, associated with the Organization of American States.

The court’s ruling arrives amid escalating tensions between sitting President Arce and former President Morales, straining the ruling Movement Toward Socialism party. Although Morales has distanced himself from Dávila-Perez’s actions, supporters of Arce have leveraged the incident to further undermine Morales’ political influence, especially with the latter eyeing a prospective run in the forthcoming presidential elections despite facing a court injunction. Senator Virginia Velasco claimed, “In the United States, the former anti-drug czar will surely be able to reveal who his accomplices are. Perhaps it is Evo,” alluding to Morales without substantiating her claims.