United States Drug Enforcement Administration

WASHINGTON – Ecuadorian authorities, supported by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), conducted a series of coordinated enforcement operations today targeting transnational criminal organizations involved in international cocaine trafficking.

The Ecuadorian National Police conducted simultaneous operations at multiple locations across Ecuador following a years-long investigation. The operations targeted criminal structures linked to Los Lobos and Los Choneros, responsible for moving cocaine through Ecuador and onward to Central America, Mexico, and international markets.

Preliminary results in the operation targeting Los Lobos, a designed Foreign Terrorist Organization, include more than 20 arrests and the seizure of rifles, handguns, vehicles, a small aircraft, ammunition, ballistic vests, communication devices, cocaine, synthetic drugs, and U.S. currency. Ecuadorian authorities also identified and disabled two clandestine airstrips believed to have been used to facilitate international cocaine trafficking.

“Congratulations to our Ecuadorian partners on this significant operation against designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, Los Lobos and Los Choneros. DEA is proud to support this effort alongside the U.S. military, working shoulder to shoulder with Ecuadorian law enforcement to disrupt the criminal networks, resources, and infrastructure that fuel international drug trafficking,” said DEA Administrator Terry Cole. “This operation demonstrates what our nations can accomplish through strong, sustained cooperation against narcoterrorism.”

DEA personnel in Ecuador worked closely with the Ecuadorian National Police and the Ecuadorian Attorney General’s Office throughout the investigation and operation. U.S. Southern Command provided counternarcotics support in coordination with DEA and Ecuadorian partner forces.

"Ecuador's announcement today of a successful series of simultaneous operations targeting the Los Choneros and Los Lobos Designated Terrorist Organizations is a decisive victory for the region. Supported by the powerful and precise capabilities of the U.S. whole-of-government team, these operations deal a severe blow to the logistics, finances, and leadership of a regional illicit network that has spread corruption and violence across the Western Hemisphere. As a vital member of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, Ecuador continues to stand at the forefront of our shared fight against narco-terrorism,” said SOUTHCOM Commander General Francis L. Donovan. “SOUTHCOM and Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere are committed to working shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners to defeat narcoterrorists in our hemisphere and defend our homeland.”

The operation targeted not only individual members of the organizations, but also the logistical infrastructure that enabled their trafficking activities, including transportation assets, weapons, communications equipment, financial resources, and clandestine aviation infrastructure. 

Los Lobos is designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. DEA and its international partners continue to target the leadership, transportation networks, financial infrastructure, and operational capabilities of foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations responsible for trafficking cocaine and other deadly drugs throughout the Western Hemisphere and toward the United States.

The investigation remains ongoing. Final arrest and seizure totals are subject to confirmation.

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