The leader of one of Ecuador’s largest drug-trafficking gangs has been arrested in a joint operation involving Spanish police, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced.
Wilmer “Pipo” Chavarria, head of the Los Lobos gang, was detained in Malaga by Spain’s National Police. President Noboa said Chavarria had faked his death, assumed a false identity, and hidden in Europe while continuing to direct criminal activities in Ecuador, including illegal mining and ordering murders. His family had previously claimed he died in 2021 from a heart attack linked to Covid.
Los Lobos, also designated a terrorist organization by Ecuador and the United States, is estimated to have 8,000 members and is considered one of Ecuador’s most powerful criminal groups. In June 2024, the US Treasury sanctioned the gang, citing its role in escalating violence in the country.
Ecuador has seen a rise in violence and murders in recent years as it has become a key hub for cocaine trafficking. While Ecuador does not produce cocaine, it is strategically located near major producing countries such as Peru and Colombia.
Interior Minister John Reimberg, who was in Spain with police during the arrest, called it a “historic day” for Ecuador in a post on X. Many Los Lobos members are currently imprisoned, and the gang has been linked to some of the country’s deadliest prison riots. It is also believed to have connections with Mexico’s powerful Jalisco New Generation cartel.
President Noboa has defined his administration with a tough military crackdown on criminal gangs. The arrest coincides with a national referendum on whether to amend the constitution to allow foreign military bases in Ecuador—a move aimed at boosting cooperation with international forces. The US previously operated a base on Ecuador’s Pacific coast until 2009.
Noboa has expressed a desire for US and European military support in Ecuador’s fight against what he calls “narco-terrorists.” The US has expanded operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, deploying troops and a naval strike force centered around the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, and conducting at least 20 strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels, reportedly killing at least 80 people. Some legal experts have raised questions about the legality of these strikes under international law.
