Suche
Mein Konto
Los Lobos: Drug lord in custody - Ecuador fights against wave of violence!
The head of the Los Lobos gang, in custody after a fake death, reveals a complex drug crime in Ecuador.
Los Lobos: Drug lord in custody - Ecuador fights against wave of violence!
The security situation in Ecuador remains tense. Today the leader of the notorious Los Lobos gang was arrested. This gang has been making a name for itself for years, particularly in the international drug trade. The boss had already faked his own death in 2021 to create a new identity for himself in Venezuela. By 2022, he entered Spain to continue his criminal activities and set up a drug trafficking ring with connections to Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Presidential Daniel Noboa celebrated this investigative success on news platform X, while emphasizing the need for international cooperation to combat transnational crimes.
Noboa describes “Los Lobos” and other criminal groups as non-state warring parties. Violence in Ecuador has recently escalated. The number of murders increased by 47 percent in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year, resulting in the highest murder figure in Ecuador's recent history. The focus is on cocaine smuggling into the US and Europe, with the US government declaring Los Lobos a foreign terrorist organization in September. Several gangs are fighting for control of the drug business and the situation has led to Ecuador becoming a hub for the international drug trade.
The roots of violence
Violence in Ecuador has been steadily increasing since 2019, and in 2022 the country recorded the highest murder rate in South America. Experts warn that persistent crime and the fragmentation of security forces could further destabilize the country. Ecuador is increasingly being terrorized by various gangs fighting for influence and control. The consequences are devastating for the civilian population and the social climate in the country.
In order to better understand the background to this security crisis, the ARD team and the podcast “Weltspiegel” interviewed various experts. In a conversation by ARD South America correspondent Xenia Böttcher, the threatening situation is highlighted and developments are discussed. The editorial staff emphasize the urgency of international attention and intervention strategies to stabilize the situation and combat the drug cartels.