Wilmer Geovanny Chavarría Barre, often known as “Pipo,” the alleged leader of drug trafficking gang Los Lobos – Ecuador’s strongest and violent felony group – has been arrested in Spain, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa introduced on Sunday.
“Today we captured ‘Pipo’ Chavarría, the most wanted criminal in the region and top leader of Los Lobos,” President Noboa posted on his official X account.
The announcement coincided with a nationwide referendum in Ecuador, which incorporates proposals aimed toward combating organized crime, such because the potential reintroduction of overseas army bases.
Ecuador’s Minister of Defense, John Reimberg, acknowledged that Chavarría was “responsible for at least 400 deaths,” and mentioned the arrest was the consequence of a coordinated operation between Ecuador’s National Police and Spanish authorities.
Chavarría is accused of orchestrating assassinations, controlling unlawful mining operations, and trafficking narcotics in collaboration with Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Noboa mentioned the gang leader had “faked his death, changed his identity, and hid in Europe while continuing to direct criminal operations in Ecuador.”
Los Lobos – designated a overseas terrorist group by the U.S. in September 2024 – has been linked to drug trafficking, unlawful gold mining, and offering armed help to CJNG in securing key cocaine routes, significantly in town of Guayaquil.
The US Treasury Department sanctioned the group in June 2024, stating it had “thousands of members” and was a significant driver of escalating violence throughout Ecuador.
Authorities suspect Los Lobos of involvement in the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio on August 9, 2023, in Quito.
Chavarría’s arrest marks a significant improvement in Ecuador’s ongoing battle in opposition to transnational organized crime.