Maximiliano Dávila, former Bolivian police chief, is arrested for alleged links to drug trafficking

(CNN Spanish) — The Bolivian Government Minister, Eduardo del Castillo, presented this Sunday the former director of the Special Force to Fight Drug Trafficking (FELCN) Maximiliano Dávila, arrested on Saturday for his alleged links to drug trafficking and alleged illicit enrichment.

According to a statement from the portfolio, the diligence was carried out with a prior investigation by the Police and an arrest warrant from the Public Ministry.

The order was executed on Saturday night in the municipality of Villazón, when Dávila was trying to cross the border into Argentina, according to del Castillo.

The former police colonel served in the fight against drugs until the resignation of Evo Morales in November 2019.

The Bolivian Information Agency (ABI) reported that before the Prosecutor’s Office, Dávila decided to take advantage of his right to silence. During his admission to the San Pedro prison in La Paz on Tuesday, the former colonel said that he is innocent of the crime he is accused of.

The Minister of Government added that they requested more information from the United States Embassy on the case, which, he indicated, is also being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to “verify data and information.” CNN contacted the US agency for more details about it. In a brief email, they noted: “We cannot confirm or comment on investigations.”

“We are not going to cover up anyone, we are always going to fight against those people who commit crimes within the national territory,” del Castillo concluded.