ECUADOR · SECURITY
Key Facts
- The timing Ecuador’s interior minister said on Friday, 6 November 2026, the transfer may take a few more weeks.
- The three men Jacobo Bucaram, Geovanny Fernández and William Briones are held in Santa Elena, Ecuador, on a US request.
- The US case A New York federal indictment alleges cocaine and machine-gun offenses; all five defendants are presumed innocent.
- The next step The United States must still send its formal extradition request before a hearing in Ecuador’s top court.
- Power Index Ecuador ranks 8th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 37.2 points (November 2026 edition).
The Ecuador extradition of a former president’s son to the United States could happen within weeks, according to Interior Minister John Reimberg. He spoke on Friday, 6 November 2026, two days after police detained Jacobo Bucaram and two other men.
The United States wants all three for an alleged cocaine and machine-gun conspiracy, and the formal extradition request has not yet arrived. Our earlier report on the arrests explains how the case began.
What the Interior Minister Said
Reimberg said the next step is the formal extradition request from the United States, followed by a hearing to inform the detainees. He said the process “can last a few more weeks.”
The three men held in Ecuador are Jacobo Bucaram Pulley, Geovanny Fernández Menéndez and William Briones López. They are in the Cárcel del Encuentro, a prison in Santa Elena province, after being arrested on Wednesday, 4 November in Guayaquil.
The US Charges Against the Five
US federal prosecutors in Manhattan made an indictment public on Thursday, 5 November. It names five Ecuadorians and charges each with conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and conspiracy to possess machine guns.
The cocaine charge carries a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. Possession of machine guns carries a minimum of 30 years, and a judge would set any sentence.
What Prosecutors Allege
Prosecutors allege that Jaime Estrada Bonilla, 71, and his son Jaime Estrada Medranda, 41, hid cocaine in exports of a seafood company based in Manta. They say Ecuadorian police seized about 1,444 kilograms of cocaine from the company’s container at the port of Guayaquil on 27 May 2023.
The indictment says representatives of the Estradas met Bucaram around 2026 about a purported two-ton cocaine shipment to Mexico, then the United States. All five men are presumed innocent unless a court proves otherwise.
How Extradition Works in Ecuador
The United States sends its request through Ecuador’s foreign ministry to the National Court of Justice, the country’s highest court for ordinary law. The court’s president schedules a hearing at which each man says whether he accepts extradition or contests it.
If a court approves, the case file goes to the presidency, which signs the final transfer. The Estradas, held in Panama since about 2 November, face a similar process there, which Reimberg said should not take long.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
Jacobo Bucaram is the son of Abdalá Bucaram, a former president of Ecuador. Our earlier coverage of the family’s court cases gives more background.
The Estradas are from the port city of Manta; the father is a former mayor and the son a former National Assembly member. The indictment says the defendants worked with leaders of Los Choneros and Los Lobos, Ecuadorian gangs the United States has designated terrorist groups.
What It Means for You
The case is filed in a US federal court in New York, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, the US anti-narcotics agency, helped investigate. It shows how far American prosecutors reach into Ecuador, a country that uses the US dollar as its currency.
For travelers and investors, it signals that Quito and Washington are working closely against drug gangs active in Ecuador. You can read where this fits in our Latin America Power Index.
What Is Not Known
It is not yet known when the United States will deliver its formal request or when the hearing will take place. The foreign ministry and the National Court of Justice are the offices that can confirm those dates.
It is also unknown whether the three men will accept extradition or fight it in court. Each will state a position at the hearing before the court’s acting president, Marco Rodríguez Ruiz.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jacobo Bucaram?
Jacobo Bucaram Pulley, 48, is the son of former Ecuadorian president Abdalá Bucaram. US prosecutors accuse him of drug and firearms trafficking, and he is presumed innocent.
When could he be sent to the United States?
Interior Minister John Reimberg says the process may take a few more weeks. It starts only when the United States sends its formal request.
What are the three men charged with?
A New York indictment charges them with conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and conspiracy to possess machine guns. Prosecutors allege these offenses; the men are presumed innocent.
What happens to the two men held in Panama?
Jaime Estrada Bonilla and Jaime Estrada Medranda face a separate extradition process in Panama. Reimberg said it is similar and should not take long.
Sources: US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, press release on indictment S1 26 Cr. 14, 5 November 2026; Interior Minister John Reimberg, television interview, 6 November 2026; National Court of Justice of Ecuador, passive extradition procedure, November 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error