A wanted international cocaine trafficker, Sebastián Marset, secretly owned most of a Colombian entertainment company, according to newly uncovered corporate records. The revelation has surprised Paraguayan authorities, who say they had no knowledge of the firm and suspect it may have been part of a broader money laundering scheme.
Marset, facing U.S. charges for leading a global cocaine ring, held 85 percent of JC Productions/Mastian Productions SAS, a Colombian concert promotion business. The firm closely resembles another company in Paraguay named Mastian Productions, which prosecutors already accuse of being used to disguise the source of illegal funds.
Judge Rosarito Montanía, handling the Marset case in Paraguay, acknowledged the discovery. She noted it would not be unexpected if the Colombian operation had been pulled into the criminal group’s efforts to clean dirty money.
Colombia’s Prosecutor’s Office declined comment, citing privacy restrictions.
Marset has been on the run, with the U.S. State Department offering $2 million for his capture. He was previously convicted in Uruguay for drug crimes in 2013, but by 2019—when both entertainment companies were launched—he was using false identities to avoid detection, according to authorities.
He cultivated a public image as a music promoter, appearing in promotional articles as a “renowned producer.” Paraguay’s prosecutors contend these portrayals were a cover for his illegal activities across Latin America.
The Paraguayan Mastian Productions had ties to José Alberto Insfrán Galeano, an alleged facilitator for Marset. Insfrán is the brother of Miguel Ángel Insfrán, known as “Tío Rico,” who is accused of being Marset’s top partner. Together, they are charged with shipping over 17 metric tons of cocaine to Europe and Africa between 2020 and 2021.
Prosecutor Deny Yoon Pak alleged that the Paraguayan company allowed Marset to enjoy profits from cocaine trafficking while hiding their illicit origin. Insfrán’s attorney, Nelson López, denied any connection to the Colombian firm, stating the Paraguayan operation was meant for religious concerts but never functioned.
Corporate filings show Marset acquired his Colombian stake on October 16, 2019, using a Bolivian passport under the alias Gabriel de Souza Beumer, with his photo attached. Paraguayan records indicate he entered Colombia two days earlier with that fake document.
The Colombian company was founded by Jairo Alberto Criado Tarazona, a former military soldier. Criado told reporters he was unaware the buyer was Marset and denied involvement in money laundering.