The investigation revealed a suspected criminal network consisting of active-duty police officers in Manabi It continues to spread to other public institutions in the country. The case, which involves false raids and the theft of $100,000 from a house in Manta, revealed that officials from the Ministry of Human Development and the municipality of Guayaquil were involved, according to the court file and information collected by the Manta prosecutor’s office.
The event that gave rise to the investigation occurred on February 22, 2025, when a group of armed individuals wearing National Police uniforms and institutional logistics entered a house under the guise of a legal raid to steal cash, jewelry and other property.
The simulated operation was possible thanks to the participants’ access to sensitive information, search warrants and the ability to mobilize as if it were a real anti-drug operation, according to information collected by the Prosecutor’s Office and the Internal Affairs Department during nine months of investigation.
The arrest of those involved took place on November 14, 2025, during Operation Onslaught 51. On that day, the commander of the Manabí subzone, Colonel Vladimir Acuriowarned that the events were not an isolated incident, as reported by First fruits. The investigation points to a plan to obtain weapons, money, ammunition and drugs in simulated interventions in Manabí and surrounding provinces, in addition to alleged extortion of people previously identified as “targets”.
Among the most relevant findings published by First fruits, There is the participation of Viviana Geomara CC, an official from the Ministry of Human Development. The defendant appears as a youth technician and family educator with activities to prevent harassment and abuse in educational units in Jaramijó, Manta and Montecristi, even supported by Dinapen.
According to prosecutors, he was present during the three hours that the false raid lasted and would later have accompanied one of the captains involved – with whom he had a romantic relationship – to warehouses in Montecristi. Nevertheless, on December 4, the judge granted him alternative measures to prison because he held a procedural position similar to that of a witness, according to Ecuadorian media.
Another person involved is Christian Manuel CR, a police corporal on passive duty who acts as an officer of the municipality of Guayaquil. Institutional transparency documents confirm that he works as a supervisory and supervision manager in the Directorate of Cantonal Cleaning, Markets and Special Services. At the public hearing, his defense argued that due to his work it was unlikely that he could be in Manta and Guayaquil at the same time. However, the judge was of the opinion that there was sufficient evidence to maintain the security measure that had been adopted.
The investigation also included police officers deployed in the provinces of Sierra Centro and Guayas. Two uniformed officers arrested in Guayaquil had previously been identified in a drug bust registered on the coast. The raids in this case were carried out not only in Manta, Portoviejo and Montecristi, but also in sectors of Chongón and Mapasingue, while other arrest warrants were issued in different provinces.
Among the main defendants is Captain Luis Fernando VB, who remains in preventive detention and, according to his defense, was “in transit to work in Manta” despite having an address registered in Ambato. Second Corporal Christian Eduardo Ll also appears. B., the only one of the seven police officers who received replacement measures. The judge ordered him to perform his regular appearances in Latacunga, where he has an employment contract.
A total of 13 people were prosecuted, including seven police officers – two of them captains – five civilians, one civil servant and a former uniformed officer. Six of the police officers remain in preventive detention, while one defendant has been granted alternative measures.
The case reveals a structure that allegedly operated according to clear hierarchies and was able to carry out false operations in a coordinated manner. The prosecution claims that the organization was consolidated through institutional logistics and the trust gained through the police uniform, while the investigation continues to clarify whether there were other similar incidents.
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