Ecuador police arrest 27 people in multi-province extortion crackdown

Police in Ecuador have arrested 27 individuals linked to extortion rackets across six provinces. Through simultaneous operations named Fénix and Libertad, authorities targeted criminal structures demanding approximately $179,000 from business owners. In Esmeraldas, a suspected member of the ‘Tiguerones’ group was captured following threats made to local residents.

In Guayas and Guayaquil, several suspects were detained for demanding monthly payments from merchants through intimidation and threats to release private recordings. The operations also extended to Pichincha and Santo Domingo to dismantle these economic intimidation networks.