Drug lord hides in plain sight as professional footballer | World | News
Sebastián Marset spoke to Canal 4 from his safehouse (Image: Canal 4/YouTube)
A suspected drugs kingpin went from pumping petrol at a rundown filling station to playing professional football in a decade – despite having absolutely no talent.
Sebastián Marset at one point splurged his entire salary on an Adidas David Beckham tracksuit top – with the former England captain said to be an idol for Marset.
Now though, the footballing dream is a distant memory, and Marset is said to be one of South America’s biggest drug kingpins. Authorities say he floods Western Europe with cocaine and has evaded international crime agencies. Unlike most suspected traffickers, Marset wasn’t spending his life on the run though, he was hiding in plain sight as a professional footballer.
The 33-year-old from Montevideo in Uruguay was playing for teams he had no right to represent, all while wearing Beckham’s iconic 23 blazened on the back of his shirt. Going by the “King of the South” monniker – a label stamped on bricks of cocaine shipped to Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany – authorities say Marset was building up a formidable narcos empire.
He is said to have used the funds from his empire to sponsor and buy teams across South America and Europe, playing himself at the centre of midfield, while not actually having the ability. According to an investigation from The Washington Post, Marset used these teams to help launder his money.
Sebastián Marset is said to be an international drug kingpin (Image: Canal 4/YouTube)
Authorities believe Marset, known as the “Narco Millennial” caused a surge in drug trafficking at Europe’s ports, opening new channels for distributing cocaine from South America. He appeared constantly one step ahead of authorities in Europe, Latin America and the USA.
Marset remains on the run, having surfaced briefly in 2023 to give an interview to Uruguayan news network Canal 4. It is thought his hideaway at the time was in the mountainous Paraguay.
Authorities at one point believed they had collared Marset, tracing him to a hideout in Bolivia last year. However, by the time they swooped on the luxurious house, where he was said to have been living under a fake name, Marset was gone.
In a message to authorities, he denied some of the allegations he faces. He said: “I’m too intelligent for you. So as not to say that you are very stupid, it sounds a little better to say that I am more intelligent.”
His journey to achieving his dream as a professional footballer started off modestly. According to The Telegraph, he was a mediocre footballer being too slow on his toes and not strong enough at passing. He was destined to go no further than semi-professional so instead was drawn to Montevideo’s criminal world.
Sebastien Mersat (Image: Interpol)
He is said to have had his first brush with the law aged just 18, when he was arrested for possession of stolen goods. At 19, he was arrested for possessing narcotics.
At 22, he was arrested for attempting to smuggle marijuana into Uruguay. It was an operation that reportedly involved the uncle of Paraguay’s then president.
One arresting officer is said to have declared Marset would be a “big problem” for them one day. It saw Marset reportedly spending five years in one of Uruguay’s toughest prisons.
And at 27, he is said to have been released as a hardened, well-connected criminal, committed to establishing a new trafficking link between South America and Europe. By 2020, concerns were raised about an influx in cocaine destined for Europe, all stamped with Primer Cartel Uruguayo, a new cartel.
His love of football is said to have stretched to his criminal life, with wiretapped conversations uncovering code words such as Maradona – after his favourite player – used for drug shipments. Other batches were called “Manchester”.
Authorities say Sebastián Marset travelled on false passports (Image: Canal 4/YouTube)
In 2021, Marset is said to have dropped off the radar. However, it is claimed that, during this time, he was hiding in plain sight, turning out for Deportivo Capiatá, a Paraguayan second-division team.
It is alleged he bank-rolled the club, bribed the coach with a house, land, and two yachts to play, and bribed his teammates. His performances are said to have included missed penalties, fouls not given by paid-off refs, and on-the-pitch struggles from the team.
He reportedly left in 2021, learning authorities were catching up with him. He was eventually captured in Dubai in September, having been travelling to his £14 million real-estate portfolio on a false passport.
Blunders from authorities in Uruguay and Paraguay meant no arrest warrant was reportedly issued, and Marset was allowed on his way. Government officials are said to have lost their jobs afterwards.
His criminal business however continued to grow, with new connections established with other cartels. He was linked to high-profile murders, including Paraguayan prosecutor Marcelo Pecci, but denied being linked to the killing.
Four people were convicted of killing Pecci at a private beach resort in Colombia. Authorities believe the Brazilian prison gang First Capital Command, a major exporter of cocaine, were responsible for the attack, but have not identified the ring-leader, reports the BBC.
Weapons seized in a raid searching for Mersat (Image: Canal 4/YouTube)
While authorities continued to pursue Marset, his own ambitions are said to have increased. Authorities claim he invested in two more football teams in a bid to transfer players to Europe as well as remodelling stadiums to help launder money.
In February 2022, authorities in Paraguay launched “Operation A Ultranza,” which means “At All Costs”. Associates of Marset were arrested, properties raided, and around £80 million in assets were seized. An international arrest warrant was then issued.
While living in Bolivia in 2023, Marset is said to have purchased Los Leones El Torno FC, playing for the squad wearing the number 23, made famous by Beckham at Real Madrid. The club was relegated from the Primera A after his identity came to light.
Having spoken to Canal 4, Marset appears to have gone underground again with authorities circling. But reports suggest his wife was arrested last week, having travelled to Marid from Dubai.