They arrest 10 alleged members of the Los Lobos gang; Minister Vela said that there is “practically a war” between the State and organized crime groups

Early this Friday, the Police carried out a special intervention in Quevedo, province of Los Ríos, and managed to capture of ten alleged members of the Los Lobos criminal organizationannounced the Minister of Government, Alexandra Vela, during a press conference.

Vela explained that the criminal gang would be responsible for at least three murders in Quevedo and four more in Quito. The minister pointed out that criminals would also be the ones they kidnapped Darwin Nazareno, brother of Miguel Ángel Nazareno -alias Don Nazar, owner of the platform Big Money-.

The minister stated that the operation “strikes one of the largest organizations that operates in the country. He acknowledged that this could “increase violence for a time” inside or outside the prisons.

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“However, it is not possible to stop acting strategically in the essential activities to achieve the dismantling of organized crime groups. This is practically a war between the State, between Ecuadorian society and organized crime groups. So that we can foresee the reactions (retaliation), we know that they are going to take place and we will be there to respond to any action or reaction that occurs as a result of the work to protect citizens and the disorganization of criminal gangs,” said Vela.

He added that Los Lobos operate in at least three cities: Quito, Guayaquil and Quevedo, and are looking to expand to more places.

drug seizures

In the same press conference offered by the Minister of Government, the General Commander of the Police, General Carlos Cabrera, reported on two seizures of narcotic substances held on Thursday and Friday. In the operations, a total of 1 ton and 44 kilos of cocaine.

The first intervention was in the province of Napo, in charge of the Mobile Antinarcotics Group. The driver of a pickup truck fled the scene when officers attempted to search the vehicle. After a search, the car was located, but without the occupants.

In the bucket and structure of the truck, sacks were found with packages that were inside. 449 kilos of cocaine. With this seizure more than four million doses were taken off the marketGeneral Cabrera said.

In Carchi, the illicit substance was found in a dump truck that was circulating suspiciously, in the Montúfar district. The drug was hidden between the drawer and the chassis. there they were found 550 kilos of cocaine, equivalent to more than 5 million doses.

The Commander General of the Police indicated that there are already more than 20 tons of drugs seized so far this year. (I)