The capture of the Brazilian criminal Marcos Roberto de Almeida, alias "Tuta," has unleashed a political storm ahead of the elections. The former mayor of Warnes and former campaign manager of Andrónico Rodríguez, Mario Cronenbold, was summoned by the Prosecutor's Office for alleged links to drug trafficking.
The investigation focuses on the contacts the PCC leader may have had during his stay in Santa Cruz. Authorities conducted raids and seized devices that could reveal new connections. The presence of "Tuta" in Bolivia puts several actors under suspicion.
The FELCC and the Brazilian Federal Police arrested "Tuta" on May 16 when he was attempting to renew his ID with a false identity. The SEGIP system detected irregularities when registering his fingerprints.
An automatic alert allowed the identification of the real person behind the pseudonym Maycon Gonçalves da Silva. Two days later, the drug trafficker was handed over to Brazilian authorities at the border. His apprehension created a domino effect in national politics.
Shortly after, it was confirmed that a major of the Bolivian Police, Gabriel J.S.H., had escorted "Tuta" to the SEGIP offices. Security cameras were key in identifying the officer as one of his bodyguards.
He was arrested for the misuse of public goods and services and for usurpation of functions. The Prosecutor's Office also initiated an internal process against the officer. The images could reveal more involved in the protection network of the drug trafficker.
Andrónico Rodríguez distanced himself from Cronenbold
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Following Cronenbold's summons, Alianza Popular decided on his removal from the campaign leadership. The announcement was made on Saturday through a statement on social media.
Andrónico Rodríguez assured that the measure is temporary and seeks to avoid political contamination amid the investigations. He added that it is a "preventive distancing," without passing judgment on his former collaborator. The decision was ratified by Félix Patzi, an ally of Rodríguez and leader of the Movimiento Tercer Sistema.
The Prosecutor's Office confirmed that Cronenbold was summoned for the "Tuta" case, but did not provide further details. Prosecutor Gómer Padilla indicated that the investigation is ongoing and has been expanded to other individuals.
Two women were also summoned after the raid on the house where the drug trafficker lived. It is presumed that this residence was used as a PCC operations center. The police seized documents and recordings from the location's security cameras.
The severity of the case increased after it was revealed that "Tuta" had been living in Bolivia since 2020. He was a fugitive from Brazilian justice, which had convicted him of money laundering and criminal organization offenses.
From Bolivian territory, he continued to operate as the PCC leader. He directed drug trafficking networks, arms trafficking, and remittance robberies. He even faced internal disputes within the organization that led him to order murders.
Rodríguez also referred to the removal of Israel Quino, his legal advisor. He said that both Quino and Cronenbold were removed to facilitate the clarification of the facts.
Quino was dismissed due to allegations of violence and sexual abuse against him. According to Rodríguez, both cases must be solved in the justice system without political interference. He reiterated that the decisions were made to protect the alliance's image.
