ICE Arrests Ecuadorian National Linked to Assassination of Presidential Candidate
On Wednesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended Xavier Jordán, an Ecuadorian national, who is among those charged with the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in 2023.
Jordán, identified as a businessman by Ecuadorian media, has been sought by Ecuadorian authorities for his alleged ties to three significant criminal cases, two of which include drug trafficking, organized crime, and corruption allegations. Reports indicate that he left Ecuador on February 2, 2020, and had since been residing in the United States.
Last year, Ecuadorian prosecutors labeled Jordán as one of seven key intellectual authors behind the assassination of Villavicencio, a journalist known for his strong anti-China and anti-socialist stance during his presidential campaign in 2023.
Villavicencio was murdered in August 2023 while departing a campaign rally in Quito. The current President, Daniel Noboa—who ran on a platform of law and order—won the election and was later reelected for a second term in 2025.
Reports from outlets like Ecuavisa indicate that Jordán and his wife were arrested by U.S. officials in Doral, Florida. One of his lawyers confirmed the arrest, stating that Jordán is currently held in ICE custody at the Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana. His attorney, Juan Carlos Salazar, mentioned that both Jordán and his wife had filed for asylum in the U.S., with a hearing scheduled for May 2027.
Video footage shared on social media shows law enforcement officials in Florida taking Jordán into custody.
When questioned by reporters on Wednesday, Ecuadorian Interior Minister John Reimberg refrained from providing further details, but emphasized, “I have always been clear; it’s a matter of time.” He asserted the government’s commitment to tackling organized crime, vowing to locate individuals regardless of where they hide.
Reimberg added, “Let’s wait a little while so we can comment on this,” urging for patience as Ecuador observes U.S. authorities’ next moves regarding the case.
According to the news source Primicias, Jordán’s arrest aligns with a U.S. immigration enforcement action similar to a recent deportation of José Serrano, another suspect connected to Villavicencio’s assassination. Serrano previously served as Ecuador’s interior minister under socialist former President Rafael Correa, who is currently a fugitive after being convicted in absentia for corruption.
The news site La Hora summarized accusations against Jordán made by prosecutors in recent years. They allege that he was instrumental in orchestrating the assassination plot against Villavicencio, which emerged after the journalist publicly alleged corruption related to Jordán and revealed his connections to Leandro Norero, a prominent drug lord who perished during a prison riot in 2022.
Furthermore, Jordán is implicated by Ecuador’s General Prosecutor’s Office in a wide-ranging judicial case known as “Metastasis.” He is accused of helping to establish the organized crime, drug trafficking, and political corruption network once led by Norero. Additionally, Jordán faces allegations of engaging in overpriced contracts and irregular schemes tied to the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute during the COVID-19 pandemic.
