Ecuador-based Los Lobos leader arrested in Mexico City authorities operation

Angel Esteban Aguilar, leader of the Ecuadorean crime group Los Lobos, was arrested at Mexico City’s international airport on Wednesday as part of a collaborative effort between Colombia, Mexico, and Ecuador to combat transnational organized crime.

Aguilar, also known as “Lobo Menor”, was taken into custody after attempting to enter Mexico under a false identity. Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed that Aguilar had been extradited to Colombia to face charges related to his alleged involvement in the 2023 assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

Ecuador’s Interior Minister John Reimberg praised the arrest, stating that it was a result of cooperation between Ecuador’s national intelligence branch and its national police, as well as their counterparts in Mexico and Colombia. He also warned cartel leaders that “no matter where they hide, we will find them, and we will catch them”.

Aguilar has been linked to various crimes, including drug trafficking, extortion, and homicide activities, according to Mexican Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch. The arrest is seen as a significant blow against transnational organized crime.

The collaboration between the three countries comes amid pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has called for a more aggressive approach towards crime and drug trafficking in Latin America. However, Colombia and Mexico have rejected such allegations, highlighting their records of drug seizures and arrests.

In related news, Ecuador’s right-wing President Daniel Noboa had placed heavy tariffs on Colombian goods earlier this month as a penalty for what he claimed was a lax approach to drug enforcement. The Trump administration has also publicly weighed launching military strikes on Colombia and Mexico, but local politicians have rebuked such threats as a violation of national sovereignty.

The arrest of Aguilar marks the latest development in the ongoing efforts to combat transnational organized crime in Latin America.

Source: Al Jazeera