Ecuador President Daniel Noboa Accused in Murder Probe; Los Lobos Member Sentenced for Drug Trafficking

In a recorded interrogation in Zaragoza, Spain, Wilmer Chavarría – known as “Pipo” and a leader of the Los Lobos criminal group – affirmed that the order to kill former presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was given by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa. Chavarría claimed he was pressured to implicate former president Rafael Correa and that interior minister John Reimberg threatened him, stating his life would be at risk if he did not testify against Correa. He also alleged that Noboa’s banana‑export companies were used to smuggle drugs to Europe and that he faced direct threats from Reimberg.

Separately, a Quito court sentenced Erick Alexander J. A., also identified as a Los Lobos member, to 19 years in prison for large‑scale trafficking of marijuana and cocaine in the city’s northern Real Audiencia area. The conviction followed a police chase in July 2025, during which the accused resisted arrest, threatened officers, and was found with nearly one kilogram of marijuana and over a dozen grams of cocaine. He was also ordered to pay a fine of 600 basic salaries.