Organized crime unleashes chaos in Ecuador
The situation in the South American country is on high alert after the announcement of the President of the Republic, Daniel Noboa, in which he declared Ecuador in a state of “internal armed conflict” and ordered the “mobilization and intervention of military and police”. “We guarantee national sovereignty and territorial integrity against organized crime and terrorist organizations," he added.
- Ecuador's biggest drug trafficker escapes from prison
- Ecuadorian drug traffickers hijack a television network
- Ecuador, the paradise of drug trafficking
So far, the authorities have confirmed that 10 military personnel have been killed in the war against drug traffickers. In response, Peru's Interior Ministry declared a state of alert and announced that special forces had been sent to the border with Ecuador to reinforce security.
Noboa declared a state of emergency in Ecuador, including prisons, after Jose Adolfo Macias, nicknamed “Fito,” escaped from prison on Monday, sparking riots and repeated acts of insubordination. In addition, a curfew was decreed in all cities of the country between 23:00 and 5:00.
In a decree issued Tuesday, Ecuador's president ordered the military to “neutralize" all drug trafficking and smuggling groups.
The gang's power has grown in recent years after Ecuador became a major export destination for cocaine produced in neighboring Peru and Colombia. Ecuador has been witnessing violence for years due to a power struggle between rival local gangs with links to Mexican and Colombian gangs.
Since 2021, more than 400 people have been killed in Ecuadorian prisons due to clashes between rival gangs
At the same time, serious riots broke out in at least six prisons in Ecuador where several guards were arrested by the inmates. Noboa's security plan, which took office last November, includes a new intelligence unit, tactical weapons for law enforcement and security forces and plans to temporarily house dangerous prisoners on prison ships.
Ecuador's biggest drug trafficker escapes from prison
Adolfo Macías, nicknamed Fito, was being held at the Litoral prison in Guayaquil where he had been serving a 34-year sentence for organized crime, drug trafficking and murder since 2011. Fito became the leader of one of Ecuador's most dangerous gangs, "Los Choneros," last year after Ecuadorian authorities confirmed that the gang's former leader, Junior Roldan, had died a few days after his release.
The authorities were slow to recognize the escape and initially believed that Fito might be hiding in a prison controlled by the Choneros.
SNAI, the state agency in charge of prison cases said in a statement that it had received a complaint about Macias' alleged escape. On Monday, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency in the country for 60 days due to Fito's escape and several prison riots.
Los Choneros and Los Lobos, gangs involved in Mexican drug trafficking
The Choneros, who have their roots in the coastal region of Manabi, where the city of Chone is located, are believed to have close ties to the Sinaloa cartel. In particular, Los Choneros are linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Lobos are linked to the Four Letter Cartel.
The Wolves
The gang has around 8,000 members and is believed to be the second largest gang in the country, having been involved in several prison riots in 2022 that claimed more than 400 lives.
🚨Dos de los mafiosos más peligrosos de Ecuador han escapado de prisión como resultado de los disturbios.
— Jianna Rasmussen (@Rebecca46487952) January 10, 2024
😎José Villamar, apodado Fito: es el líder de la pandilla más grande de #Ecuador, Los Choneros.
😎Fabricio Pico: encabeza la segunda pandilla más grande de Los Lobos. pic.twitter.com/khOyTjJc5o
The Choneros
With between 12,000 and 20,000 members, it has become the most important criminal organization in Ecuador. He was born in a village in the coastal province of Manabi in the 1990s and from there he spread to Manta and other cities on the Pacific coast. The authorities identified him as the armed wing of Colombian cartels that wanted to control the routes to Mexico, and especially to the United States.
The Lizards
According to InsightCrime, the group, which originated in a Guayaquil prison, has been operating for at least a decade and may use assassins to eliminate members and leaders of other large organizations. However, at some point he began to challenge the Choneros for territory.
Important murders have been attributed to the Lizards, such as that of the actor and television presenter Efraín Ruales in 2021. The gang is currently incarcerated in 35 prisons across the country and is believed to be one of the main culprits of the bloody riots of recent years.
Tiguerones, Chone Killers and R7
The Tiguerones gang, smaller than Los Choneros or Los Lobos, is active in Esmeraldas, with between 3,000 and 4,000 members on the streets and 1,500 in prison.
Ecuadorian drug traffickers hijack a television network
In the midst of the chaos after the escape of two criminals from the towns of Los Choneros and Los Lobos, a group of criminals took control of the TC TV network. Live broadcasts showed journalists being threatened with weapons and explosives. The criminals were arrested by the police.
Almost two hours later, the Guayaquil police regained control of the building and detained most of the armed group. “As a result of the intervention our police have so far arrested several people and evidence of the crimes,” the security forces said.
The hostages were freed by armed criminals. The police also announced that 13 people were arrested and that the criminals belong to the gang “Los Tiguerones”. According to the police, the employees have already been rescued and are safe. A few hours later, the Ecuadorian prosecutor's Office announced that the 13 detainees would be charged with terrorist acts.
As soon as the shooting started, one of the hooded gunmen turned to the camera and said: "You know you shouldn't mess with the mafia, right?”.
🇪🇨🇻🇪 | URGENTE - ECUADOR BAJO ATAQUE: 12 ecuatorianos y 1 venezolano, dos menores de edad entre ellos, fueron los terroristas que interrumpieron las instalaciones de TC Televisión en Guayaquil.
— Alerta News 24 (@AlertaNews24) January 10, 2024
pic.twitter.com/wVfeWGml3A
Ecuador, the paradise of drug trafficking
Located between Peru and Colombia, Ecuador is the dream home of drug trafficking gangs, recently considered terrorist gangs by Daniel Noboa. Miles of remote coastline provide exceptional coverage. For the Mexican cartels, Ecuador is a safe alternative to Colombia.
For both the Sinaloa cartel and the CJNG cartel (Jalisco New Generation Cartel), Ecuador is a valuable territory that provides a cocaine pipeline to the United States.
Just 700 kilometers from the jungle that gives access to the "Darien stopper", Ecuador's borders have become one of the main access routes for cocaine to Latin America and, therefore, have made the South American country the perfect place where gangs from different countries work and trade not only with drugs, but with weapons and women.
Authorities say Mexican cartels regularly rent, sometimes forcibly, fishing boats in small towns like Jaramijó, a few kilometers north of Manta, or Posorja, south of Guayaquil. Ecuador has been the key link in the cocaine transport chain between Colombia and the United States and Europe.
To all this, it is added that the weaknesses of the country and the lack of resources of state institutions, Ecuador is a public transport and work space, which has made Ecuador a popular destination for criminal organizations. As a result, Ecuador has experienced waves of violence for several years due to territorial disputes between Colombian and Mexican drug cartels.
