A judicial tribunal in Ecuador has sentenced the Mayor of Guayaquil, Aquiles Alvarez, to six years and eight months in prison for the irregular packaging, transport, and commercialisation of hydrocarbons in border zones.
The first-instance ruling in the case, known as Triple A, was announced virtually on the night of Saturday, August 29, 2026, during the resumption of the trial hearing.
The trial panel comprised judges Jorge Sánchez Pico, who served as reporting judge, Clara Soria, and Víctor Barahona. The judges determined that Alvarez maintained control over the companies involved in the illegal scheme.
According to the tribunal, Alvarez was aware of and directly managed operations related to the illegal swapping of fuel. The court stated that funds from the investigated operations were transferred directly into Alvarez's personal accounts, demonstrating that he obtained an economic benefit.
Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city and primary commercial port, located along the Guayas River in the coastal region of the South American nation.
Previous conviction and imprisonment
The new ruling adds to a previous sentence handed down against the mayor on August 3, 2026, when he received a three-year prison term in a first-instance decision in the Grillete case.
In that earlier proceeding, prosecutors charged Alvarez with failure to comply with a lawful order from a competent authority after investigators determined he had removed an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet. The court had imposed the tracking device as a precautionary measure during the Triple A investigation.
Alvarez's legal team has appealed the three-year sentence. He is currently incarcerated at the El Encuentro prison, located in the coastal province of Santa Elena.
Pending money laundering trial
Alvarez remains subject to a third criminal proceeding, known as the Goleada case, which involves an investigation into alleged money laundering that encompasses members of his family and business circle.
The Goleada case was in its evaluation and trial preparation stage when a newly assigned magistrate, Judge Sebastián Cornejo, declared the proceedings null. The judge has not yet set a date to retry the hearing.
