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Ecuador's Choneros To Fragment Further After Ex-Leader's Murder
Roldán was found shot dead on May 6 near the town of Fredonia in the Colombian department of Antioquia, Ecuador’s Interior Minister Juan Zapata confirmed on May 8. While the…
‘Clan Farruku’ Arrests Highlight Albanians’ Latin America Cocaine Connections
Clan Farruku, an Albanian crime group, was recently dismantled in Ecuador after receiving over ten tons of cocaine from Latin America.
Ecuador Gang Massacre Highlights Intensified Fight for Drug Routes
The Tiguerones gang is thought to be behind the massacre in Esmeraldas, as they battle for control of international drug trafficking routes.
Ecuador Profile
Ecuador’s geographic location and other environmental characteristics have long provided incentives for transnational organized crime groups to exploit the country as a drug transshipment point and a logistical safe haven. Ecuador’s diverse transnational criminal landscape, dominated mainly by Colombian criminal and guerrilla groups as well as Mexican cartels, has led some to describe it as the “United Nations” of organized crime. Once considered one of the most insecure countries in the region, Ecuador has succeeded in tackling certain manifestations of violence in recent years. But drug trafficking through the country is on the rise, paving the way for possible growing insecurity further down the road.
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Authorities in Russia made a large-scale seizure of cocaine in Moscow, following another in St. Petersburg last month.
President Guillermo Lasso has authorized Ecuador's citizens to possess weapons. But will it reduce insecurity in the country?…
InSight Crime reviews Latin America and the Caribbean's cocaine seizure date from 2022 to find out what it reveals about regional trafficking.
As the CITES treaty hits 50, we take a look at its successes, failures, and future challenges in reducing the illicit trade of wildlife.
Wilder Emilio Sánchez Farfán, alias “Gato Farfán” helped develop Ecuador's credentials as a drug trafficking hub.
InSight Crime's 2022 Homicide Round-Up covers more countries than ever before, with a major expansion into nations of the Caribbean.

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