On September 1, 2026, the Attorney General's Office in Ecuador linked six judges from the Esmeraldas Provincial Court, one judge from Atacames, one individual, and three corporate entities to the Blindaje money laundering case. ^[1] Prosecutors allege that the six judges, along with Mayor Vicko Villacís, abused judicial guarantees to issue fraudulent rulings for the purpose of money laundering. ^[2] On September 1, 2026, the Ecuadorian Public Ministry linked six judges from the province of Esmeraldas to the 'Blindaje' case involving alleged money laundering. ^[3] The investigation identified a network that allegedly moved approximately $7.54 million through irregular judicial protection actions in Esmeraldas. ^[4] The investigation targets the illegal laundering of $7,543,716.52, which prosecutors claim originated from unjustified indemnities awarded in protection actions. ^[5] The scheme allegedly involved the use of front companies and state institutions such as Petroecuador, Refinería de Esmeralda, and Senae to generate illicit funds. ^[6] The Public Ministry also charged Iván Sol González and three companies: Reypezpacific S.A., Reysolutionwash, and Teknhikmec, as part of the structure under investigation. ^[7] The six judges linked to the case are Genaro Reinoso Cañote, Juan Francisco Morales, Juan Agustín Jaramillo Salinas, Luis Fernando Otoya, Carlos Vinicio Aguirre, and Simón Bolívar Moreno. ^[8]