Attorney General Alarcón expands ‘Caso Blindado’ investigation

Acting Attorney General Leonardo Alarcón has expanded the ‘Caso Blindado’ investigation, increasing the total number of defendants to 18. During a hearing at the National Court of Justice, Alarcón presented evidence against seven individuals and three companies suspected of money laundering linked to bribery and malfeasance.

The investigation now involves the National Court due to the legal status of the newly implicated parties, which includes judges from the Esmeraldas Provincial Court of Justice. Alarcón has requested preventive prison for three judges and house arrest with electronic monitoring for four others. Additionally, the prosecution has requested the freezing of funds and the prohibition of asset transfers for the three companies involved.

The case originally centered on the Mayor of Esmeraldas, Vicko Villacís, who has been in preventive detention for nearly three months. The probe began in November 2025 following an unusual operations report from the Financial and Economic Analysis Unit (UAFE).