Ecuador charges ex‑minister in presidential candidate murder case

Prosecutors in Ecuador have charged former interior minister Jose Serrano and six others with alleged involvement in the 2023 murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

The case stems from a shooting at a Quito rally days before the election, where Villavicencio, a former journalist and anti‑corruption lawmaker, was killed.

Investigators point to Serrano together with Los Lobos cartel boss Wilmer "Pipo" Chavarria. Five gang members arrested in 2024 for orchestrating the hit were already sentenced; the alleged gunman died at the scene, and six additional men were murdered while awaiting trial.

At present, Serrano and other suspects remain fugitives abroad—Serrano and Xavier Jordán in the United States, Ronny Aleaga in Venezuela and Chavarria in Spain awaiting extradition. Interpol red notices have been issued.

Angel Esteban Aguilar, another Los Lobos operative, was arrested in Mexico City in March and returned to Ecuador after a red notice was filed over Villavicencio’s murder.

Ecuador, sandwiched between Colombia and Peru, is a key transit country for illicit drugs. Cartels such as Los Lobos use corruption and violence to control supply routes, with deep ties to the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Mexico.