A judge in Ecuador ordered pretrial detention on Thursday 12 November 2026 for Navila Dieb, a former Guayaquil beauty queen and city hall official, in a money-laundering investigation known as the La Reina (Queen) case. Prosecutors from Ecuador’s Attorney General’s Office (the Fiscalía) say about US$1.07 million of the money that passed through her accounts is not explained by her declared income.
Dieb was not found when police raided the case on 5 August, and her whereabouts are unknown. For US readers, the case concerns financial crime that touches Guayaquil’s city hall, in a country that uses the US dollar as its currency.
Key Facts
•Who: Navila Dieb, Guayaquil’s 2020 beauty queen and a former city hall official.
•What: A judge ordered pretrial detention on Thursday 12 November 2026.
•Case: Prosecutors say about US$1.07 million in her bank credits from 2020 to March 2026 is unexplained.
•Status: Her whereabouts are unknown; her two brothers were ordered detained in August.
•Power Index: Ecuador ranks 8th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 37.2 points (November 2026 edition).
Pretrial detention is not a conviction. Dieb, her family and the company named in the case are presumed innocent.
What Prosecutors Allege
The case began with a complaint filed on 15 July 2026 and a report of unusual transactions from Ecuador’s financial intelligence unit, the Unidad de Análisis Financiero y Económico (UAFE), covering 2020 to March 2026, the Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía) said. Prosecutors say Dieb’s money movements rose sharply after she joined the city’s new Special Events Directorate, a city hall unit, in May 2023.
They say Dieb recorded net bank credits of US$1,272,382.79 against declared taxable income of US$185,795.11 and other exempt income of US$16,066.44. They put the unexplained gap at about US$1.07 million.
The Fiscalía says her stepfather made cash deposits and transfers into her accounts totalling US$108,877, and that she sent him US$87,877.60. It also points to cash deposits and transfers from her mother.
Prosecutors told the hearing that she received funds from Guayaquil Mayor Aquiles Alvarez through Ternape Petroleum, an oil terminal operator. The written bulletin names only US$53,931.50 in payments from Ternape in 2022.
It also lists a main client, “Aquiles David Á. H.”, billed US$44,642.85 in 2023 on five invoices for “promotional material”.
What the Judge Decided
The judge accepted the Fiscalía’s request and ordered pretrial detention for Dieb. Her mother and stepfather must report to the authorities twice a week and may not leave the country.
The judge also barred those processed from selling property and froze their bank accounts. A company named 911Society, whose role the bulletin does not describe, had its accounts frozen and its activities suspended temporarily.
Five members of the family are now processed in the case, the Fiscalía said. Her brothers David and Farid Dieb were ordered into pretrial detention in August, and their defence argued then that the money was an early inheritance.
What It Means for You
Ecuador is dollarised, so the transactions cited are in US dollars and pass through the same banking system that US firms and expats use. Anyone doing business in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city and main port, should note that prosecutors allege links between a city hall employee and private companies.
Alvarez, who faces other criminal cases, was not among the people the judge linked to this case on Thursday. Ecuador holds local elections on 29 November 2026; see our Ecuador news coverage and the opening of the local election campaign.
What Is Not Known
Prosecutors have not said where Dieb is, and it is unclear whether she will surrender or be arrested. We have not found a public response from Dieb’s lawyers to Thursday’s allegations.
The judge’s written ruling has not been published, so the details above are the Fiscalía’s account of the hearing. Prosecutors have not said whether more people will be linked to the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Navila Dieb?
Navila Dieb was crowned Guayaquil’s beauty queen in 2020 and later worked for the city’s Special Events Directorate. A judge ordered her pretrial detention on 12 November 2026 in a money-laundering case.
What is the La Reina case?
It is a money-laundering investigation by Ecuador’s Attorney General’s Office into US$1.27 million in bank credits between 2020 and March 2026. Five members of Dieb’s family and one company are linked to it.
Is Mayor Aquiles Alvarez charged in this case?
Prosecutors allege Dieb received funds from Alvarez through Ternape Petroleum. He faces other criminal cases and was not among the people the judge linked to this case on 12 November 2026.
Sources
Fiscalía General del Estado (Ecuador Attorney General’s Office), press bulletin FGE No. 1294-DC-2026, 12 November 2026: fiscalia.gob.ec. Unidad de Análisis Financiero y Económico (UAFE): uafe.gob.ec.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error