09.11.2026 07:00
During a police raid on the multimillion-dollar mansion of former President Santiago Peña in Paraguay, a high-security safe hidden behind a false wall was found. It was stated that the safe, alleged to be Israeli-made and protected by an iris scanning system, could not be opened. It was reported that the raid was carried out as part of a financial investigation into Ueno Bank loans alleged to have been used to finance the mansion.
The financial investigation that began with the collapse of Ueno Bank in Paraguay has extended to the luxury mansion of former President Santiago Peña. The residence in the city of San Bernardino, near the capital Asunción, was raided by prosecutor’s office and police teams on Sunday, November 8. During the operation, a special safe hidden behind a false wall inside the house was detected. However, due to the advanced security system, the inside of the safe could not be reached.
HIDDEN SAFE FOUND BEHIND FALSE WALL
According to a report by the Paraguayan newspaper ABC Color, teams came across a hidden passage in one of the mansion’s rooms and a high-security door at the end of this passage. Initial examinations determined that the door was protected by a digital password and biometric recognition system.
It was claimed that the hidden safe may be equipped with an Israeli-origin security system, with iris and facial recognition technologies used. However, the technical specifications of the system have not yet been officially verified. It is also unknown what is inside the safe that the teams failed to open.
THE MANSION IS VALUED AT 2 MILLION DOLLARS
According to information in the local press, the estimated value of Peña’s mansion in the city of San Bernardino reaches 2 million dollars. The enclosed area of the structure, located on approximately 5,000 square meters of land, reaches 1,015 square meters.
The investigation file states that the former president took out two loans from Ueno Bank in May 2024 totaling more than 3.5 billion Paraguayan guaraníes for the construction of the mansion. It is stated that the monthly loan installments reached 239 million guaraníes and that this amount corresponds to approximately 6 times Peña’s presidential salary.
HE HAD BEEN ARRESTED IN THE BANK INVESTIGATION
Peña faced charges of incitement to breach of trust and engaging in management activities for personal gain as part of the investigation linked to the financial collapse of Ueno Bank. Peña, who was removed from office by the Paraguayan Congress on November 6, was later ordered to be held in pre-trial detention.
The prosecutor’s office is also examining transactions related to public resources and pension funds held at the bank. The search at the mansion was carried out as part of the investigation into the former president’s assets and financial relations with the bank.
WHAT IS INSIDE THE HIDDEN SAFE IS UNKNOWN
While the Paraguayan Attorney General’s Office confirmed the search at the mansion, details regarding the hidden safe are mainly based on information reported by the local press. It has not yet been announced whether there is money, documents, or other valuables inside the safe. Authorities are continuing their investigations to determine the hidden compartment’s connection to the investigation.