In brief
In a sweeping move against crime gangs, Ecuador has charged former interior minister José Serrano and six others for involvement in the 2023 murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The attack on Villavicencio’s Quito rally drew a nationwide crackdown, linking the case to the Los Lobos cartel and exposing deep government corruption. While Serrano and several suspects remain fugitives abroad—Serrano in the U.S., Chavarria in Spain, Aleaga in Venezuela—Interpol red notices are in place, and several gang members were already jailed during a 2024 trial. The case underscores Ecuador’s role as a transit hub between Colombia and Peru, where drug gangs weaponise corruption to control supply routes.
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.
