Federal Judge Upholds Freeze on Dolphin Discovery Accounts Amid Fraud Case

Cancún, Quintana Roo — A federal judge has upheld a freeze on the bank accounts of Controladora Dolphin, the parent company of Dolphin Discovery, amid an ongoing money laundering investigation and fraud case involving its director.

The decision, which confirms an earlier immobilization order by Mexico’s National Banking and Securities Commission, marks another setback for the once-dominant marine cetacean exploitation firm. The ruling came after the company sought to unfreeze accounts linked to alleged money laundering and other commercial issues.

Court records show that the company has filed an appeal against the judgment, as noted in the indirect amparo case file 725/2025.

The case is tied to the arrest of Eduardo Martín Albor Villanueva, Dolphin Discovery’s director, who was detained in Cancún in January on charges of procedural fraud. A Mexico City judge issued a warrant for his arrest in August 2025.

Documents obtained by Sol Quintana Roo reveal that Albor Villanueva requested several amparos after learning of the arrest warrant issued by a judge in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City. He faces accusations of procedural fraud related to disputes between his company and other firms, whose partners reported him to authorities.

Although he initially obtained suspensions of the arrest warrants, a judge required him to attend a hearing in early 2026 to clarify criminal agreements. When he failed to appear, the suspensions were revoked, according to the reviewed files.