Did Sean Penn Help American Escape Bolivia?

RAFAEL ROMO, OUR SENIOR LATIN AFFAIRS EDITOR HAD THE STORY ABOUT HOW THIS WHOLE THING BEGAN. >> JACOB IS HOME. >> HE ARRIVED IN THE UNITED STATES MONDAY MORNING. >> BUT HOW THE AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN RETURNED TO THE U.S. IS STILL A MYSTERY. HE WAS ARRESTED IN JUNE 2011 IN BOLIVIA WHERE HE WAS MANAGING A RICE BUSINESS AND ACCUSED OF LAUNDERING DRUG MONEY. IN A CNN INTERVIEW IN MAY OF 2012, HIS WIFE SAID THE FAMILY WAS PUZZLED AND DISMAYED BY THE ACCUSATIONS. >> THE WORST PART IS THAT HE'S AN INNOCENT MAN. HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG, AND HE PROVED THAT INNOCENCE IN A COURT OF LAW. >> LAST DECEMBER, AFTER SPENDING 18 MONTHS IN PRISON WITHOUT BEING CHARGED AND WITH HIS HEALTH FAILING, HE WAS PUT UNDER HOUSE ARREST. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH CNN, HE STRONGLY DENIED THE CHARGES. >> THE REASON THEY'RE PUTTING ME IN JAIL IS BECAUSE MY ASSOCIATE IN SWITZERLAND IS WANTED FOR NARCO TRAFFICKING. AND THEY HAVE THE EVIDENCE WITHOUT THE JUDGE EVER SEEING ANY EVIDENCE. >> ACTOR SEAN PENN WHO TOOK UP THE COST OF HIS FREEDOM TRAVELED TO BOLIVIA A YEAR AGO AND MET WITH THE PRESIDENT. >> WE'RE VERY HONORED AND GRATEFUL. THAT PRESIDENT MORALES HAS RECEIVED US. >> PENN TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE SOUTH AMERICA COUNTRY IN A HUMANITARIAN OPERATION TO FREE HIM FROM THE CORRUPT PROSECUTION AND IMPRISONMENT HE WAS SUFFERING IN BOLIVIA. THE STATE DEPARTMENT DENIED THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIS ESCAPE. >> I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY INVOLVEMENT. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET HIM CONSULAR ACCESS SINCE HIS ARREST IN JUNE 2011. WE ATTENDED ALL HIS COURT HEARINGS. >> RAPHAEL ROMO, LET ME BRING YOU IN HERE. WE HEARD THE U.S. DENYING THEY HAD A THING TO DO WITH THIS ESCAPE. THERE ARE REPORTS OUT THERE THAT SEAN PENN HIMSELF MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THEIR RELATIONSHIP? >> IT GOES BACK MORE THAN A YEAR. SEAN PENN PERSONALLY WENT TO BOLIVIA LAST DECEMBER. HE MET WITH ASTRIKER. HE MET WITH HIS WIFE. HE ALSO TESTIFIED IN CONGRESS TO TRY TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN TRYING TO LIBERATE HIM. SO HE'S BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN TRYING TO GET HIM OUT OF BOLIVIA FROM THE BEGINNING. >> DO YOU HAVE ANY INDICATION AS TO WHERE THIS MAN IS RIGHT THIS MOMENT? >> NOT CLEARLY, BUT BOLIVIANS ARE SAYING HE TOOK A FLIGHT FROM PERU TO LOS ANGELES. HE LIVED IN NEW YORK BEFORE HE WAS DETAINED IN BOLIVIA.