Los Chone Killers, or Chone Killers, are an Ecuadorian criminal and terrorist organization known for their drug trafficking activities, assassinations, and other crimes. The group split from
Los Choneros
Los Choneros is an organized crime syndicate and drug cartel based in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, with a notable presence along much of the country's coastline. The gang is known for its involvement in organized crime, including drug traffick ...
in 2020, along with
Los Lobos
Los Lobos (, Spanish for "the Wolves") are an American rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional music such as cumbia, ...
and
Los Tiguerones
Los Tiguerones are an Ecuadorian crime syndicate that specializes in drug trafficking activities, assassinations, and other crimes. The group split from Los Choneros in 2020, along with Los Lobos and Los Chone Killers following the murder of L ...
following the murder of Los Choneros leader
Jorge Luis Zambrano
Jorge Luis Zambrano González (3 October 1981 – 28 December 2020), also known by the alias ''Rasquiña'', was an Ecuadorian drug trafficker. He was the leader of Los Choneros from 2007 until his murder in 2020.
Early life
Zambrano was born ...
.
The group mainly operates in
Guayas Province, in particular the city of
Durán.
History
Los Chone Killers are derived from the Puerto Rican drug trafficking gang
Ñetas after the latter's international expansion.
When Los Choneros leader Zambrano was killed in 2020, Los Chone Killers and several other gangs split off due to disagreements with the leadership of
José Adolfo MacÃas Villamar
José Adolfo MacÃas Villamar (born 30 September 1979), also known by the alias Fito, is an Ecuadorian drug trafficker and the current leader of Los Choneros cartel. He assumed leadership in 2020 following the murder of his predecessor Jorge Lu ...
.
Clashes and massacres in prisons across Ecuador broke out in the wake of the split.
When Los Chone Killers emerged, they were unpopular in Duran.
In 2021, Los Chone Killers, along with other gangs formerly allied to Los Choneros, including Los Pipos, Los Lobos, and Tiguerones, announced the creation of an alliance dubbed
Nueva Generación after an alliance with
Jalisco New Generation Cartel
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel ( es, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación) or CJNG, formerly known as ''Los Mata Zetas'', is a semi-militarized Mexican criminal group based in Jalisco which is headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Me ...
.
In May 2021, judge Johan Briones ordered the dismissal of Antonio Benjamin Camacho, alias "Ben 10", one of the leaders of Los Chone Killers, due to a lack of evidence implicating Ben 10 in the murder of eight people.
That November, Camacho's brother Terry Israel Camacho, alias "Trompudo", was released from Turi prison. Los Chone Killers and Tiguerones killed sixty-eight inmates in November 2021 at a prison riot in
Litoral Penitentiary
The Litoral Penitentiary ( es, PenitenciarÃa del Litoral), known officially as Center for Social Rehabilitation of Men No. 1 of Guayaquil ( es, Centro de Rehabilitación Social de Varones N. 1 de Guayaquil) is the largest prison in Ecuador. It i ...
.
Los Chone Killers gained international notoriety following the murder of
Leandro Norero, alias "El Jefe", the financier of the gang. The Ecuadorian government warned of reprisal attacks by Los Chone Killers in Litoral Penitentiary, and decided to transfer Los Chone Killers prisoners to other prisons to prevent clashes.
Instead, clashes broke out against prison guards and Ecuadorian police by Los Chone Killers across Ecuador.
Since 2023, Los Chone Killers have been in a territorial dispute with
Latin Kings in Duran.
References
{{Reflist
Drug cartels in Ecuador
Crime in Ecuador
Organizations established in 2020
2020 establishments in Ecuador