Overview
- President Daniel Noboa and security officials said Spanish and Ecuadorian police detained Wilmer ‘Pipo’ Chavarría in the province of Málaga after a coordinated investigation.
- Authorities identify Chavarría as the top leader of Los Lobos, alleging ties to Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel and attributing roughly 400 killings to his command.
- Officials say he staged his death in 2021, assumed a new identity in Europe, and continued directing drug trafficking, illegal mining and contract killings from abroad.
- Noboa credited assistance from international partners; the United States previously sanctioned Los Lobos and its leaders, and the group has been linked to high-profile crimes including the 2023 killing of Fernando Villavicencio.
- Police have not detailed the extradition process or operational specifics, and analysts expect close watch on how Los Lobos responds to the loss of its alleged chief.