This Saturday the Paraguayan military confiscated a cell phone belonging to the brother of Gianina Garcia Trocheidentified as the pair of fugitive drug trafficker Sebastian Marsettried to extradite him during a visit Viñas Cué military prison from Asunción, where she is serving preventive detention.
The Armed Forces Command reported that the device, an iPhone hidden in a thermos for Tereré – traditional drink from Paraguay – was discovered during the inspection of the items brought into the prison.
The attempt was attributed to Federico García Troche, the prisoner’s brother, who went to Viñas Cué on Saturday morning with various foods and the tampered thermos. According to the military statement during the “strict content review process” The phone and other items were discovered and a report was prepared that was sent to the judge in the case, Rosarito Montanía.
Federico García Troche was not prosecuted for the crime. The President of the Military Tribunal, General of the Aviation Department Nicolás Narváez, stated this EFE that attempting to bring a phone into prison is not classified as a crime in the Paraguayan Penal Code, which is why García Troche’s brother was released after the incident. Narváez added that it is in the hands of Judge Montanía to determine whether the action constitutes a violation of the specific conditions of confinement of the defendant.
Gianina García Troche remains at liberty in the Viñas Cué military prison since May 21, following her extradition from Spain. His arrest on Spanish territory took place in July 2024 at the Adolfo Suárez-Madrid Barajas airport. During her stay in prison, she was transferred to a hospital in early December after fainting and convulsions and was readmitted to prison after being medically discharged.
The formal charges against García Troche are part of the Paraguayan investigation that followed “An Ultranza Py” operation, deployed in 2022 as the largest coup to date against organized crime and Money laundering in Paraguay. The State Ministry accuses García Troche of having brought in millions from the government Drug traffickingSophisticated methods are used to hide the origin and destination of the funds.
During a court hearing on October 14th García Troche stated that she was not Marset’s wife, although she admitted that she was the mother of his children.
Sebastián Marset himself recently addressed the situation in a radio interview 780 p.m and to the canal Mega TVin which he claimed that he had offered to surrender to the Paraguayan state in exchange for García Troche being “exonerated.” The Paraguayan Executiveon the other hand, He refused any kind of trial and reiterated his demand that Marset appear before the judiciary.
USA announced on May 21 the offer of a $2,000,000 reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Marset, According to the US State Department, he is also accused of shipping more than 16 tons of cocaine to Europe. In addition, the US judiciary brought charges of money laundering and ensured that Marset managed millions of dollars from drug trafficking through US-based financial institutions. At the regional level In 2023, Bolivia offered a $100,000 reward for his arrest.
García Troche’s extradition to Paraguay came almost a year after his arrest in Spain. Upon her arrival, she was immediately detained at the Viñas Cué military prison, where strict confinement is imposed due to the seriousness of the allegations and her alleged connection to the network led by Marset.
(With information from EFE and EP)
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