Former oil trader convicted in international bribery scheme

February 28, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace, seen here, announced the conviction of Javier Aguilar, a former employee of Vitol, who took part in a bribery and money laundering operation spanning Ecuador and Mexico. He now faces up to 30 years in prison at sentencing.
Photo courtesy of Eastern District

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Javier Aguilar, a former employee of Vitol, Inc., was convicted by a Brooklyn federal jury for his involvement in a bribery and money laundering operation spanning Ecuador and Mexico. Aguilar, found guilty on all charges after an eight-week trial, faces up to 30 years in prison for his role in funneling over $1 million in bribes to officials at the state-owned oil companies Petroecuador and PEMEX Procurement International.

“The defendant and his co-conspirators sought to enrich themselves through criminal backroom deals,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “The people of Ecuador and Mexico deserved better and companies that play by the rules should know that the process is not rigged.”

Aguilar’s scheme involved bribing senior officials in Ecuador to secure a $300 million fuel oil contract for Vitol and using shell companies and sham invoices to launder the payments. Similar tactics were employed to bribe officials at PEMEX, resulting in lucrative contracts to supply ethane gas.

The trial featured testimony from former officials who admitted to receiving bribes, consultants who facilitated the payments, and intermediaries involved in laundering the funds. Evidence included bribe payment ledgers, emails and bank records tracing the illicit flow of money through offshore entities.

This case is part of a larger investigation into Vitol’s practices, which led to the company admitting to violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in December 2020 and agreeing to a $135 million penalty in a coordinated resolution with various U.S. and Brazilian authorities.