Military Seizes $50,540 in Fake $20 Bills at Quito's Carcelén Terminal

The Seizure

On Sunday, April 12, 2026, Ecuador's Armed Forces intercepted $50,540 in counterfeit U.S. currency at the Terminal Terrestre de Carcelén in Quito (source).

Per El Telégrafo: "encontró USD 50.540 en billetes falsos."

What's in the Stack

All of the seized notes were $20 bills. The breakdown:

• 2,527 counterfeit $20 bills in one batch
• 2,501 counterfeit $20 bills in another

That's 5,028 fake $20 notes in a single interception.

The evidence was "entregada a la Policía Nacional para que inicie las investigaciones" — handed over to the National Police to open an investigation. The article does not mention arrests.

What This Means for Expats

• Ecuador uses the U.S. dollar, and cash is still widely used — especially outside the major cities, at small shops, taxis, and rural markets. That makes counterfeit bills a real risk for anyone handling cash.
• $20 bills are the most-counterfeited denomination in Ecuador by a wide margin. They're common enough not to attract attention, but valuable enough to be worth the fraud.
• Learn to check bills before accepting them. Quick checks: feel the paper texture (real bills have a distinct weave), look for the Andrew Jackson watermark when held to light, and check the embedded security strip that glows green under UV.
• Refuse any $20 bill that feels too smooth, looks faded, or has the wrong color cast. It's within your rights to decline.
• If you're handed a suspected fake, photograph it, do not pass it along (that's a crime), and report to the National Police (1800 DELITO) or at a police station. Pretending you didn't notice and spending it anyway exposes you to criminal liability.
• ATMs and banks are the safest sources of cash. If you're spending a lot and want to be sure your bills are real, withdraw from an ATM instead of accepting change from small merchants.

Source: El Telégrafo