Ecuador gang leader wanted for murder of presidential candidate arrested

Ángel Esteban Aguilar Morales, also known as Lobo Menor, the leader of a major Ecuadorian drug-trafficking gang, was arrested in Mexico City on Wednesday. He is wanted in connection with the 2023 murder of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Aguilar had been using false Colombian identification and was the subject of an Interpol red notice for drug trafficking, extortion, and homicide. The arrest was a joint operation involving Ecuadorian and Mexican authorities, with Colombia also contributing to the effort. Villavicencio was assassinated in Quito in August 2023, and five members of the Los Lobos gang have already been jailed for the crime. Los Lobos, which has ties to the Jalisco New Generation cartel in Mexico, has been declared a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US.

Angel Esteban Aguilar, leader of the Ecuadorian crime group Los Lobos, was arrested at Mexico City's international airport on Wednesday while attempting to enter the country under a false identity. Aguilar, also known as "Lobo Menor," is suspected of masterminding the 2023 assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The arrest was a collaborative effort between law enforcement in Colombia, Mexico, and Ecuador. Colombian President Gustavo Petro described Aguilar as a notorious assassin and confirmed his extradition to Colombia to face charges. Ecuadorean authorities sought Aguilar in connection with Villavicencio's murder, which occurred as the candidate left a campaign rally.