US court sentences ex-Vitol trader to 4 years over $1M+ in bribes to Petroecuador officials to win a $300 million fuel contract under the Correa government

A federal judge in Brooklyn sentenced Javier Aguilar, a former Vitol Group oil-trading operator, to four years in prison, $7.13 million in forfeiture and a $100,000 fine on September 21, 2026, after his conviction for bribing officials at Ecuador's state oil company Petroecuador to secure a roughly $300 million fuel-oil supply contract signed in 2016. Court evidence showed Aguilar funneled over $1 million in bribes through intermediary Antonio Peré Ycaza to Petroecuador's international commerce manager, Nilsen Arias, using Oman Trading International to bypass restrictions on direct dealings with Vitol.