Overview
- President Daniel Noboa said Wilmer Geovanny Chavarría Barre, known as “Pipo,” was captured in Malaga in coordination with Spanish police.
- Los Lobos is among the groups the United States designated as foreign terrorist organizations in September.
- Noboa alleges Chavarría coordinated drug routes and illegal mining with Mexico’s CJNG, faked his death, changed his identity, and directed killings from Europe.
- Interior Minister John Reimberg linked him to at least 400 deaths and said he managed criminal operations from prison between 2011 and 2019.
- The arrest marks a major step in Noboa’s militarized security campaign as Ecuadorians vote on allowing foreign military bases, with experts warning captures can spark power struggles.