Paraguay: Two police officers to stand trial for deleting Interpol alerts on Marset's partner

Two police officers in Paraguay are set to face trial for allegedly manipulating Interpol's computer system to remove red notices for Gianina García, the partner of alleged Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset, and one of his collaborators.

The decision was made by Judge Humberto Otazú, who ordered a public trial for sub-officer Kevin Eduardo Montiel Sanabria and officer Gabriela Vasso Mosqueira. Montiel is accused of unauthorized access to computer systems, altering relevant data for evidence, obstructing justice, bribery, and money laundering. Vasso is charged with obstructing justice and acting as a public official in committing offenses.

According to the prosecution, Montiel, who worked in the Communications Division of Interpol Paraguay, used his superuser access to delete the red notices. These alerts were issued for García Troche on July 25, 2023, and for José Fernando Darío Estigarribia Cristaldo on September 11, 2023. The prosecution alleges that Montiel maintained and used his user account to remove these specific notifications from the i24/7 system.

This legal development follows an earlier decision on July 20, where Judge Otazú dismissed charges against two other officers, Hugo Javier Vallejos Rivas and Clara Elizabeth Ruiz Díaz Gómez, who were initially investigated in connection with the irregularities. Ruiz Díaz Gómez is reportedly the partner of Montiel.

The case highlights concerns about the integrity of Interpol's systems and the potential for corruption within law enforcement agencies tasked with international cooperation against organized crime.