ECUADOR · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —What is happening Ecuador’s Interior Minister John Reimberg said on Friday, 16 October, that Xavier Jordán, held by US immigration agents since Wednesday, 16 September, had his US asylum request denied and awaits a further hearing before deportation.
- —Why it matters Jordán is a defendant in Ecuador’s case over the 2023 killing of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, so a US deportation would return a high-profile murder suspect to Ecuadorian courts.
- —The numbers Jordán has been in US custody for 30 days since 16 September, and the minister’s early forecast of a deportation within 15 days has passed without a set date.
- —Who is who Reimberg leads Ecuador’s Interior Ministry, which oversees the police; ICE is US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency holding Jordán at the Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Louisiana.
- —What to watch The date of the next US immigration hearing, which has not been announced, and any deportation flight; separately, 29 October is set for the extradition of two other defendants, Daniel Salcedo and Ronald Herrera.
- —Power Index Ecuador ranks 8th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 38.2 points (October 2026 edition).
- —What it means for you A foreign national arrested in Florida for allegedly overstaying his permitted stay is held in ICE custody in Louisiana, and his removal now depends on US immigration hearings rather than a fixed date.
Ecuador’s interior minister says the US denied asylum to Xavier Jordán, who is wanted over a 2023 candidate killing. Jordán has been in ICE custody since 16 September, and no deportation date is set.
Interior Minister John Reimberg said on Friday, 16 October, that Xavier Jordán is held in the US after his asylum bid failed. Jordán is wanted in Ecuador over the 2023 killing of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested him in Florida on Wednesday, 16 September, and one more hearing is expected before deportation. Reimberg gave no date, and the asylum denial comes only from the minister, with no US document seen.
What the Interior Minister Said About Xavier Jordán
Reimberg spoke in a radio interview with Sucesos in Quito, El Universo and Expreso reported on Friday. He said Jordán’s asylum request to the US government had been denied.
He added that one more hearing is expected to move the deportation process forward, without giving a date. He said Ecuador had sent the documents needed for Jordán to appear before Ecuadorian courts.
Reimberg said “there are no more turns to take” on the matter, in El Universo’s account. On 18 September he had predicted a short process of no more than 15 days, Primicias reported.
Who Xavier Jordán Is
Jordán is an Ecuadorian citizen processed in the Magnicidio FV case, the investigation into the killing of Fernando Villavicencio. Villavicencio, a journalist and presidential candidate, was shot after a rally in Quito on Wednesday, 9 August 2023.
Prosecutors allege he was one of the intellectual authors, Primicias and El Comercio reported. The case is at the preparatory stage of trial, and he has not been convicted.
El Comercio reported that a court upheld his pretrial detention on Monday, 29 June 2026. Separately, Ecuador’s National Court of Justice requested his extradition from the United States in July in the Metástasis case, Extra reported.
He is also under investigation in the Metástasis case, in which prosecutors examine an alleged organised crime structure inside the judiciary. He left Ecuador on 2 February 2020 and settled in the Miami area, Primicias reported.
How the US Detention Unfolded
ICE agents arrested Jordán in Doral, Miami-Dade County, on Wednesday, 16 September, and his wife was detained as well. Videos of the arrest circulated on social media, Primicias reported, and El Comercio said she was later released on bail.
ICE spokesperson Néstor Yglesias told Telemundo 51 that Jordán entered on 3 February 2020, with permission to stay until 2 August 2020. He said Jordán stayed longer, El Comercio reported.
ICE moved him to the Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Louisiana, a facility that holds immigration detainees. ICE told the outlet he stays in custody while his deportation case is resolved.
On Thursday, 15 October, his name briefly vanished from ICE’s public detainee locator, El Comercio and El Mercurio reported. Hours later the locator again showed him at Winn, under ICE’s Oakdale field office, and ICE gave no explanation.
The Asylum Claim and the Deportation Path
Reimberg says the asylum request was denied. In September, El Comercio quoted lawyer Juan Carlos Salazar saying Jordán had an asylum hearing set for May 2027.
The two accounts have not been reconciled in the sources reviewed. The public ICE locator shows no hearing and no final removal order, El Comercio reported on 15 October.
ICE describes a deportation process for an alleged overstay, even though Ecuador has asked for extradition. In 2024 Jordán’s Miami lawyer, Richard Díaz, argued that a pending asylum request would stop any extradition, Primicias reported.
Other Extraditions Reimberg Mentioned
Reimberg repeated that the extradition of Daniel Salcedo and former police agent Ronald Herrera is set for Thursday, 29 October. Both are defendants in the Magnicidio FV case, and a hearing on whether seven defendants go to trial resumes that day.
He said alias Churrón, a lieutenant of Los Choneros leader Adolfo Macías, known as Fito, accepted extradition. He added that the list of people sought includes “many more”.
The 29 October date is covered separately in Ecuador Sets 29 October Salcedo Extradition. Reimberg did not link Jordán to that flight.
What It Means for US Readers
A foreign national arrested in a Miami suburb over an alleged visa overstay is held in a Louisiana detention centre. The case shows ICE pursuing removal of a person whom another government wants in a murder case.
Reimberg’s account suggests the asylum route has closed, but no US court record has been seen. US immigration judges decide removal cases, and ICE has not announced a date.
For background see the profile of President Daniel Noboa and the guide on whether Ecuador is safe. The Quito city page covers the capital.
What Is Not Known
No US document seen confirms the asylum denial, which rests on the minister’s account. ICE has not announced a hearing date or a removal order.
A lawyer cited a May 2027 hearing in September, while Reimberg speaks of one more hearing without a date. The sources do not explain the difference.
They also do not explain why the ICE locator briefly dropped his name. The minister has not said where Ecuador would hold Jordán after arrival.
What Comes Next
The next step is the immigration hearing Reimberg expects, for which no date has been published. If a judge orders removal, ICE would arrange a flight to Ecuador.
Ecuador’s Magnicidio FV court hearing is set to resume on Thursday, 29 October. Jordán’s lawyers have not commented in the sources reviewed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Xavier Jordán?
He is an Ecuadorian citizen processed in the case over the 2023 killing of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. He has not been convicted, and he is also under investigation in the Metástasis organised crime case.
Why is Xavier Jordán detained in the United States?
ICE arrested him in Doral, Florida, on Wednesday, 16 September, saying he stayed in the US longer than his permission allowed. Ecuador also wants him in court and has requested his extradition.
Has the US denied his asylum request?
Ecuador’s Interior Minister John Reimberg says so. No US document seen confirms it, and a lawyer earlier cited an asylum hearing set for May 2027.
When will Xavier Jordán be deported?
No date is set. Reimberg expects one more hearing, without saying when, and earlier predicted a deportation within 15 days that has not happened.
Where is Xavier Jordán held?
He is held at the Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Louisiana, according to the ICE detainee locator. His name briefly disappeared from the locator on Thursday, 15 October, before reappearing.
Sources: El Universo, 16 October; Expreso, 16 October; El Comercio, ICE locator, 15 October; El Mercurio, 15 October; El Comercio, Reimberg on deportation, September; El Comercio, ICE statement, September; Primicias, 18 September; Extra, extradition request, 16 July; Primicias, lawyer on asylum, January 2024 (all accessed 16 October 2026).