Los Lobos (English: ''The Wolves'') is an Ecuadorian criminal organization that specializes in
drug trafficking and working as
hitmen
Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may be ...
for international partners or allied groups. Los Lobos began as a splinter group of the
Los Choneros drug cartel, but broke away in 2020 after the death of Jorge Luis Zambrano, along with Los Chone Killers and Los Tiguerones. The group has over 8,000 members and mainly operates in cities of
Latacunga
Latacunga (; Quechua: Latakunga) is a plateau town of Ecuador, capital of the Cotopaxi Province, south of Quito, near the confluence of the Alaquez and Cutuchi rivers to form the Patate, the headstream of the Pastaza. At the time of census 2 ...
,
Cuenca, and
Machala
Machala () is a city in south-west Ecuador. It is the capital of the El Oro Province, and is located near the Gulf of Guayaquil on fertile lowlands. Machala has a population of 241,606 (2010 census); it is the eighth-biggest city in the country, ...
, and also in the province of
Pastaza. Los Lobos participates in the cocaine exports in
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...
.
History
Los Lobos began as a splinter group of the
Los Choneros drug cartel. After the assassination of
Jorge Luis Zambrano, the gang's leader, in 2020, a vacuum was left in the organization's leadership. Due to their weakened position, several gangs, including Los Lobos, broke away and formed a new alliance to combat them. They referred to themselves as the Nueva Generación.
Members of Los Lobos were involved in several prison riots across Ecuador. On 28 September 2021, a dispute between Los Lobos and Los Choneros in the
Litoral Penitentiary,
Guayaquil
, motto = Por Guayaquil Independiente en, For Independent Guayaquil
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Ecuador#South America
, pushpin_re ...
, led to
a riot that killed 123 inmates and injured over 80. It was the deadliest prison riot in Ecuador's history. On 4 April 2022, riots broke out in Turi prison,
Cuenca which killed at least 20 inmates. Alexander Quesada, the leader of Los Lobos, and Marcelo Anchundia, the leader of rival gang R7, were reportedly behind the riot. On 9 May 2022, at least 44 inmates were killed and over 100 managed to escape after a riot in Bellavista prison,
Santo Domingo
, total_type = Total
, population_density_km2 = auto
, timezone = AST (UTC −4)
, area_code_type = Area codes
, area_code = 809, 829, 849
, postal_code_type = Postal codes
, postal_code = 10100–10699 ( Distrito Nacional)
, webs ...
. The riot was fought between members of Los Lobos and R7 in an attempt to kill Anchundia, who had been transferred to the prison along with Quesada.
In November 2022, Los Lobos, along with their ally Los Tiguerones, were behind a wave of violence across Ecuador after many of their members were transferred out of the Litoral Penitentiary, which they feared would result in a loss of control over the prison. During the wave of violence, two headless bodies were found hanging from a bridge, inmates took eight guards hostage, nine car bombs were set off in the provinces of
Esmeraldas and
Guayas, and five police officers were shot dead.
On 9 August 2023, masked men claiming to be members of Los Lobos claimed responsibility for the
assassination of
Fernando Villavicencio in a video. In a second video, other men purporting to be members of Los Lobos denied playing a role in the assassination and said that they were being framed. An investigation found that the order to kill Villavicencio came from inside a prison. An inmate imprisoned in the Latacunga jail who had sent messages to one of the gunmen and a woman who was accused by prosecutors of providing the assailants with logistical support were both allegedly members of the gang.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lobos, Los
Organizations established in 2020
2020 establishments in Ecuador
Drug cartels in Ecuador
Crime in Ecuador