The youngest of the brothers, Luis Enrique, is also accused of the alleged use of money obtained through money laundering.

These charges are supported by the report of the FBI agent, Michael Lewandoski, who, prior to the capture of the brothers in Guatemala, had met with them, and who denounces that the Martinelli Linares were intermediaries between 2009 and 2014 in the payment of B /.28 million from the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht to a former high-ranking Panamanian official, according to the US Department of Justice.

This, through the opening and management of secret bank accounts in the name of shell companies in foreign jurisdictions.

The indictment details the following transactions:

- In November 2013, the brothers carried out a transaction of approximately $899,978.32.
- In December of the same year another was made for $30,887.21. This from a bank in Switzerland to another in New York and, again, to a Swiss bank.
- Prior to this, in February 2013, Luis Enrique carried out a transaction for $346,500.00 from a financial institution in Switzerland to a bank in New York and later to another in New Jersey.
- Then, in August 2015, he made another for $570,000.00 from a Swiss bank to one in New York, and then it was transferred to accounts in Florida.

These are events committed in the period when his father, Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal, was president of Panama.

Background

On December 21, 2016, Odebrecht pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York to criminal information accusing it of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for its participation in bribery and money laundering.

The sons of the former Panama president were detained on July 6, 2020 by the Guatemalan authorities and have been kept for 7 months in the prison of the Mariscal Zavala military barracks, in Guatemala.

The United States made the official extradition request on September 4, however the Martinelli Linares have filed three legal appeals before the Guatemalan Judicial System to try to prevent their transfer to the US.

In case of conviction, the assets that are linked to the charges would be confiscated.