San Bernardino · 8–9 November 2026
The false wall and the vault
The vault was found on Sunday behind a false wall at Peña's San Bernardino property, about 30 miles from Asunción. Prosecutor Christian Benítez said investigators opened the first security door but met a second barrier. According to information gathered during the investigation, the system is reportedly Israeli-made and includes facial or iris recognition, a fingerprint reader, a personal identification number and keys. Citing ABC Color and Última Hora: a concealed door in one of the rooms leads through a corridor to an armoured vault with a “level 7” system requiring facial or iris recognition, a fingerprint, a PIN code and security keys. The Prosecutor's Office confirmed the search, “although its statement did not mention the vault”. The house cost about 7.7 billion guaraníes to build. On 13 May 2024 Peña received two simultaneous loans totalling 3.548 billion guaraníes, with instalments of some 239 million guaraníes, almost six times his salary. Prosecutors estimate total damage in the case at US$809.5 million. Members of the Presidential Escort Regiment were still guarding the property. The search began shortly before 19:00 in Ciervo Cuá, led by prosecutors Christian Benítez, Silvia González and Elena Fiore. Images released by the Prosecutor's Office and ABC Color show a corridor leading from one of the rooms to an armoured door. ABC described a “level 7” system needing at least four mechanisms: facial or iris recognition, fingerprint, numeric code and multilock-type keys. A separate video from the construction stage shows the entry system and the vault's interior, still empty, with brick openings that let in daylight. “La comitiva fiscal-policial llegó hasta la segunda puerta de la bóveda … que se encuentra detrás de una pared falsa equipada y cuenta con un sofisticado sistema de seguridad de procedencia israel[í].” Primicias published the post alongside a Fiscalía photograph distributed by EFE. ABC's 13-second clip of the concealed entrance. ABC TV's first alert that night said the vault “tendría un sistema de seguridad israelí y lectura de iris”, attributing it to the prosecutors at the scene. The search began on 8 November and ran past midnight without access to the compartment. Investigators are seeking to identify the company responsible for installing it. Its contents are unknown.
Second door
Options for entry
A controlled detonation, bringing the former First Lady Leticia Ocampos, or the help of other relatives are among the options. Benítez said only the first door had been opened and specialists would be consulted. On bringing Peña to the house: “De momento, (llevar a Peña) todavía no es una de las opciones que estamos analizando.” The system “incluiría reconocimiento de iris”. Benítez said no final decision had been taken on how to enter and that any procedure would need specialist assessment. He said the structure could also function as a safe room or panic room. A swimming pool sits above the vault and the house is built on raised ground, factors to be weighed before any intervention. Benítez: “Estamos analizando la posibilidad de armar una detonación controlada, si es que no hay otra manera de abrir.” Bringing Ocampos could be simpler than moving Peña himself. At a press conference on Monday prosecutor Silvia González said the vault is “de gran complejidad” and “se abrirá con el equipo adecuado”. Investigators also found computers, other devices and documents that “podrían ser importantes”. The search resumed at 07:00.
13 May 2024
The loans and the house
The two May 2024 loans came to about US$577,000; monthly instalments of about US$38,880 were equivalent to six times his presidential pay, according to the charge. The Ministerio Público is investigating whether he intervened in decisions on placing public and pension funds in the bank. The search of the US$2 million residence formed part of the investigation into Peña and the former Central Bank president Carlos Carvallo. The Ministerio Público said the procedure followed Peña's charge for alleged breach of trust, as instigator, and administration for personal gain, as perpetrator. Early information indicated a vault with an advanced security system.
Asunción · 6–7 November 2026
Removal and charges
Peña was detained on Friday shortly after being found guilty in an impeachment trial for “mal desempeño de funciones”. Ueno had 2.94 million customers. Benítez said the offences in their aggravated form carry up to 10 years in prison. Deputy prosecutor Nancy Salomón said Peña had exercised his constitutional right to defend himself in his statement. The Ministerio Público is investigating “presuntas irregularidades en la colocación de recursos públicos y previsionales en Ueno Bank S.A., así como con los mecanismos de supervisión y control”. Carvallo is charged with breach of trust, producing public documents with false content and administration for personal gain. Between 2023 and 2026 the bank allegedly received large deposits from public and pension bodies while lending to companies linked to its own group. Congress removed Peña on Friday for poor performance of his duties and swore in Pedro Alliana. On 22 November 2023, three months after Peña took office, the Central Bank authorised Financiera Ueno to become a bank; Carlos Carvallo, appointed by Peña, had headed the Central Bank since September 2023. Inaugural address: “Considero que la mejor política social que existe es el crecimiento económico sostenido.” Over five days ueno collapsed, freezing the savings of nearly 3 million customers in a country of 6.5 million. Peña was impeached after attempting to resign. “Peña has denied wrongdoing and his attorney, Ricardo Preda, told journalists that he was pleading not guilty.” Until March 2025 Peña had been a business partner of the group that owns ueno. Senator Rafael Filizzola: “We are facing the biggest corruption scandal in our democratic history.” On 3 November the Central Bank began resolution procedures after finding Ueno had breached minimum solvency requirements. Prosecutors opened three investigations and 27 people had been charged. Peña tendered his resignation on 5 November; Congress did not accept it and both chambers voted unanimously to impeach. Ueno, part of Grupo Vázquez, launched in 2021. A handout image released by the Attorney General's Office showed officials searching the residence. Peña is accused of using presidential influence to direct government deposits to Ueno and of concealing or playing down its difficulties despite warnings; these are accusations.
Defence
Peña's position
Ricardo Preda: “El presidente no es quien directamente le dice a un ministro a qué banco hacer su depósito o a una institución equis. Eso cada uno decide en base a sus reparticiones técnicas.” He called pretrial detention unnecessary. Peña is held at the Regimiento Escolta Presidencial. The defence told the Senate the accusation identified no rule broken and no illegal order signed by Peña. Preda: “Un recorte periodístico no es una prueba.” He said Peña sold his indirect stake linked to the bank in April 2025 and that the operations under investigation took place after that date. The defence argued that Peña's resignation barred the trial from continuing; Adolfo Ferreiro reserved the right to go to the Supreme Court and international human rights bodies. Preda acknowledged savers and pensioners deserved answers but objected to attributing to Peña decisions of the Central Bank and IPS.
Public money
State and pension deposits
Ueno Bank president Juan Manuel Gustale confirmed Peña was a shareholder in Ueno Holding, having bought shares in Credicentro in 2018 before it changed name; the holding and the bank share the same principal shareholder, Grupo Vázquez, and nearly the same board. He denied Peña held shares in the bank itself. IPS then had US$78 million in the bank, including US$32 million in bonds. IPS, the social security institute, registered as a privileged creditor with an estimated exposure of US$355 million, about 9% of its investment portfolio. It said pensions and the year-end bonus were guaranteed. Based on documents from the Treasury of the Ministry of Economy and Finance reported by ABC Color: state and pension deposits peaked at US$862 million in July 2026, about US$835 million in August and about US$855 million in September. State institutions had about US$800 million deposited, mostly pension money; the Ministry of Economy, Itaipú and at least five pension funds including IPS are named. By 31 August 2025 Ueno was the largest recipient of state dollar funds (24.5%) and second in guaraníes (18.7%), according to the charge sheet. End-September total: about 3.6 trillion guaraníes plus US$233.4 million, roughly US$810 million. Economist Víctor Raúl Benítez puts it at US$864 million.
Video
Broadcast reports
Live report from the gate of the property as prosecutors were expected to return. The reporter says the steel door had “a security level of seven” and raises whether a judge might order Peña brought to the house. Summary package using images ABC TV published on X; notes that ABC Color first reported the property in January 2025. Interview with Paraguayan journalist Juan Jara on the political situation after Pedro Alliana's swearing-in and the search for the vault.
Method
How this was reported
Details of the vault are as reported up to 9 November 2026, 17:00 GMT. The Ministerio Público confirmed the search but its written statement did not describe the vault; most technical details, including the Israeli origin of the system, come from ABC Color and other press citing prosecutors at the scene. Currency conversions differ between outlets; guaraní figures from the charge are given first. Peña has been charged, not convicted, and denies wrongdoing.
Extracts are summarised from the document of record, which is linked above. Where a passage is disputed, this newsroom will publish the correction alongside the extract.