2024-01-11 16:06:00
Ecuador is experiencing a wave of violence that this January 9 saw new incidents in different parts of the country, including the appearance of a group of hooded and armed men on a live television broadcast. Criminal gangs have unleashed a spiral of actions and confrontations that led President Daniel Noboa to declare that the country is in an “internal armed conflict” and order the Ecuadorian Armed Forces to carry out military operations to “neutralize” the groups that identified as terrorists.
In addition to the violent attacks recorded, several prison escapes by high-profile criminals were reported this Tuesday. One of them is Fabricio Colón Pico, alias “Capitán Pico” and alleged leader of the Los Lobos gang, who escaped from the Riobamba prison, according to the city’s mayor, Jhon Vinueza.
Days ago, the man had been publicly identified by Ecuador’s prosecutor, Diana Salazar, as suspected of participating in an alleged plan to attack his life and that of his family. On Wednesday afternoon, the Ecuadorian Prosecutor’s Office solicitous an indictment hearing for “Capitan Pico.”
Colón Pico had been arrested on Friday, January 5 in Quito with a preventive detention order that he was serving in the prison of the city of Riobamba for alleged participation in the crime of kidnapping, as confirmed by the Prosecutor’s Office. Along with Colón Pico, another 38 inmates escaped, of which 12 have been recaptured, the National Service for Comprehensive Attention to Adult Persons Deprived of Liberty (SNAI) told CNN.
According to the Police, Colón faces some 21 proceedings for various crimes, including: organized crime, illicit association, possession of unauthorized firearms, qualified robbery, organization or financing for the production and trafficking of scheduled substances subject to control, intimidation and arms trafficking. Authorities are offering a reward for information leading to his whereabouts.
Who are Los Lobos, the criminal gang of “Capitán Pico”?
According to Insight Crime, Los Lobos, a gang that emerged as a dissident from Los Choneros, has become the second most important criminal organization in Ecuador, with nearly 8,000 members. Since 2021, he has allegedly carried out several violent episodes within Ecuadorian prisons and has played a leading role in the decomposition of the security situation in Ecuador.
The main characteristic of Los Lobos, according to this source, is that they are in charge of a federation of small gangs, including the Tiguerones and the Chone Killers, as a result of the weakening of the Los Choneros gang.
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