The U.S. Department of Justice secured a four-year prison sentence against former Vitol oil trader Javier Aguilar for schemes to bribe officials linked to the state-owned oil companies of Ecuador and Mexico. Aguilar was also ordered to forfeit USD 7.13 million and pay a USD 100,000 fine. Aguilar paid more than USD 1 million in bribes to obtain and retain business for Vitol, including a USD 300 million fuel oil contract involving Ecuador’s Petroecuador and contracts to supply hundreds of millions of dollars of ethane gas to Mexico’s PEMEX. The schemes used shell entities, sham invoices, false contracts and alias email accounts to conceal payments and launder funds through the U.S. financial system. Aguilar was convicted or pleaded guilty to charges involving violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Travel Act and money laundering.
2026-09-21U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Justice secures four-year sentence and USD 7.13 million forfeiture against former oil trader for foreign bribery schemes
The U.S. Department of Justice secured a four-year prison sentence against former Vitol trader Javier Aguilar for bribery schemes involving officials linked to Ecuador’s and Mexico’s state-owned oil companies. Aguilar must also forfeit USD 7.13 million and pay a USD 100,000 fine.