As a legislator, he was described as the “el brazo derecho y asesor político” of Óscar Ortiz.
As a minister, upon activating an Interpol arrest warrant for former president Evo Morales, Murillo said he was “terrorista confeso.” Murillo also called Morales’ former ministers “terrorists” issuing several charges of sedition and terrorism, and singled out former minister and diplomat Juan Ramón Quintana as “an animal who is killing people in our country.”
After the victory of Luis Arce in the 2020 presidential elections, Murillo likely fled on foot across the border to Brazil with former defence minister Luis Fernando López, where he subsequently escaped to the US. Evidence later revealed that both López and Murillo were deeply involved in plotting a second military coup in the case of an Arce victory — potentially deploying US mercenaries flown from the US Military’s Southern Command in Miami.
Once in the US, Murillo was arrested on bribery charges for allegedly accepting payment in exchange for securing a tear gas and anti-riot equipment contract from the Bolivian government with then Minister of Defense Luis Fernando López. This same anti-riot equipment was then used in the massacres at Sacaba and Senkata during the Áñez government.
In January 2023, Murillo was sentenced to more than five years in US prison for bribery. Murillo also faces similar charges in Bolivia connected to related crimes and misconduct in government. In 2021, Murillo was also convicted of forging his own military service records.
