Ecuador interior minister warns criminals are fleeing to Colombia

Ecuador’s interior minister, John Reimberg Oviedo, said members of organized crime groups are escaping the country by first heading to the border town of Ipiales in Colombia and then moving deeper into Colombian territory. He explained that fugitives obtain legitimate Colombian identity documents, allowing them to “re‑organize their criminal activities” without detection. The minister cited the recent capture of “alias Javi”, a key figure linked to the Los Choneros cartel’s money‑laundering operations, as evidence that these networks are using false identities to avoid prosecution. Reimberg warned that this is “not an isolated case” and that other high‑risk criminals have similarly obtained Colombian papers to hide and continue illicit operations. He urged stronger political decisions to accompany the police work and highlighted concerns over recent Colombian moves to suspend military actions against certain illegal armed groups, which he believes could further embolden transnational criminal groups.