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Money Laundering Techniques Flourish in Ecuador as Criminal Groups Evade Law Enforcement
Quito/Guayaquil - Ecuador has become a hotspot for bulk cash smuggling, with criminal groups exploiting lax legal requirements and inconsistent judicial interpretations to launder millions of dollars through the country’s borders.
Significant Hauls, Low Convictions
According to figures from El Comercio, security forces seized over $10 million in cash, as well as smaller quantities of euros and pesos, between 2008 and 2012. However, despite these significant hauls, only six out of 70 criminal cases resulted in convictions, while 18 individuals were acquitted and 28 cases were dismissed.
Criminal Groups’ Strategies
Police estimate that for every one person they capture, five more make it across the border undetected, highlighting the scale of the problem. The majority of cash smuggling operations take place through land and maritime borders, where monitoring is less effective than at airports.
Cash Smuggling Methods
There are two primary methods used by smugglers:
- Bulk Shipments: Commercial vehicles carrying large amounts of cash
- “Ruta Hormiga” or “Ant Route”: Breaking down cash into smaller amounts and carrying it across the border by individuals before reconsolidating on the other side
Seizures and Cartels
Seizures often occur at airports, but this may be due to better facilities for checking baggage rather than an indication that it’s a more popular route. Cash smuggling routes frequently follow the same paths taken by drug traffickers in reverse, using the same personnel and infrastructure.
Mexican cartels, in particular, have been known to move cash through Ecuador to avoid detection, often partnering with international criminal groups from Russia and China. The United States has responded by strengthening legislation and launching operations such as “Operation Firewall” to target cash smuggling.
Adapting to New Money Laundering Techniques
However, despite these efforts, cash smugglers continue to evade law enforcement, and the cartels are adapting by incorporating new money laundering techniques that exploit opportunities in a high-tech world.