MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguayan lawmaker steps down after drug trafficking accusations

Ozorio claimed his resignation was due to political reasons because prosecutors have no evidence against him

Paraguayan Deputy Juan Carlos Ozorio Wednesday submitted his resignation following allegations that he is involved in drug trafficking and after the Lower House announced his dismissal would be decided by vote.

Former President Horacio Cartés has also been involved in the alleged illegal sale of narcotics, according to press reports, which have also mentioned audios in which Ozorio can be heard making deals with Óscar Agustín Sanabria, who was arrested April 17, 2021.

Ozorio insisted his resignation was due to “the stress generated by the case,” and claimed the prosecution had no evidence against him, although things have a different weight from a strictly political viewpoint.

Sanabria's arrest was carried out by the National Anti-Drug Secretariat (Senad) for allegedly producing cocaine, which was later sold to Brazilian drug trafficking organizations.

Ozorio also pointed out Prosecutor Celso Morales, who is handling Sanabria's case, had found no links between the two of them. The now-former Congressman and Sanabria had financed the release of a gang member known as Kanguru, a Bolivian national who allegedly supplied the criminal organization with cocaine paste, according to the audios.

After his resignation, Ozorio was arrested and taken in handcuffs to a Senad facility to spend the night. Prosecutors told him he was under investigation for his alleged links to people involved in the so-called “A Ultranza PY” police operation.