Two sisters arrested in Ecuador with $2 million from Dominican Republic

Quito, Ecuador.- Two Ecuadorian sisters were arrested at Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport after authorities found over $2 million in cash in their carry-on suitcase. The sisters had traveled from the Dominican Republic with a stopover in Panama. The cash, consisting of $100 bills in sealed bundles, was allegedly linked to money laundering and possibly criminal activities in Ecuador, according to National Police Commander Víctor Zárate. Although the women had no prior criminal records, an investigation revealed their connection to a suspected laundering network.

The arrests were made through coordination with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Dominican authorities. Four customs officials implicated in facilitating the sisters’ entry were also detained. Outside the airport, police intercepted an armored vehicle reportedly intended to transport the women and the money. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa suggested a link between the cash and protests organized against his government, though no direct evidence was provided.

The arrests coincided with planned mobilizations by Ecuador’s largest labor union, the United Workers Front (FUT), protesting economic policies and prolonged power outages. President Noboa criticized the protests, connecting them to attempts at destabilization. He announced that, pending legal proceedings, the confiscated funds would be allocated to preserving Quito’s historic center. The protests occurred amid a partial state of emergency, although Ecuador’s Constitutional Court overturned measures restricting public assembly.