Leader of Ecuador‘s Los Lobos Drugs Gang Captured in Spain
Madrid, Spain – Teh alleged leader of one of Ecuador’s most powerful criminal organizations, Los Lobos, has been captured in Spain, authorities confirmed this week. The arrest comes amid a surge in violence in Ecuador and a heightened military crackdown ordered by President Daniel Noboa.
Los Lobos,estimated to have 8,000 members,has considerably contributed to Ecuador’s escalating violence as the country has become a major cocaine trafficking hub. In June 2024, the US Treasury sanctioned the gang, describing it as a group with “thousands of members.” Ecuador does not produce cocaine but serves as a key transit point between major producing nations like Peru and Colombia.The capture of the gang’s leader represents a meaningful progress in Ecuador’s efforts to combat organized crime.
President Noboa has prioritized a tough military response to criminal gangs since taking office. The arrest coincides with a national referendum on whether to allow foreign military bases to operate within Ecuador again – a policy shift from the previous management of Rafael Correa, who banned such bases in 2009.
The United States is increasing its military presence in the region, deploying troops and a naval strike force centered around the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier to the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The US has also conducted at least 20 strikes on alleged narco-trafficking vessels in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean, resulting in at least 80 deaths, though evidence regarding those onboard has not been publicly provided and the legality of the strikes has been questioned by some legal experts.
Many Los Lobos members are already incarcerated,and the gang has been implicated in some of Ecuador’s bloodiest prison riots. intelligence suggests Los Lobos maintains connections with the Jalisco New Generation cartel,a powerful institution based in Mexico.
Earlier this year, President Noboa told the BBC he sought the assistance of US and European armies in his “war” against “narco-terrorists.” US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently toured military facilities in Ecuador.
