The leader of one of the most powerful drug trafficking gangs in Ecuador was captured in an operation involving Spanish police.
This was announced by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, quoted by the BBC.
Wilmer "Pipo" Chavarria is the head of "Los Lobos", one of the most notorious groups in the country.
President Noboa said that Chavarria faked his own death, changed his identity and hid in Europe, while continuing to control criminal operations. His family claimed in 2021 that he died of a heart attack due to Covid.
In June 2024, the US Treasury Department sanctioned the gang, describing it as a group with "thousands of members" that significantly contributed to the increase in violence in Ecuador.