The leader of one of Ecuador’s most powerful and notorious drug gangs was captured Sunday in Spain, four years after faking his death and heading to Europe.
Wilmer “Pipo” Chavarria was nabbed in Malaga in a joint operation with Spanish police, Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, said in a statement.
Chavarria is the leader of Los Lobos, a drug trafficking group with more than 8,000 members, according to Ecuadorian authorities. He had been one of the South American nation’s most wanted men for several years.
In 2021, Chavarria’s family claimed he died from a heart attack while infected with COVID-19. But in reality, he had obtained a new identity and fled to Spain, where he continued to direct operations for Los Lobos.
In September, President Trump’s administration designated Los Lobos as a terrorist group, part of its ongoing fight with an ever-expanding number of South American drug trafficking groups.
Chavarria is believed to be responsible for more than 400 killings throughout Ecuador, and Los Lobos’ power extends throughout the nation. The group has been blamed for bombings, political assassinations and prison riots, among other violence.
About 20 years ago, Ecuador was one of the most peaceful countries in South America, but the nation has exploded into violence in recent years due to drug trafficking routes from neighboring Peru and Colombia. Los Lobos are also believed to work with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Mexico.
With News Wire Services
