Ecuador takes custody of captured Los Tiguerones leader ‘Gato Negro’

Colombian National Police, together with Interpol and U.S. Marshals, captured Galo Javier Suárez Román – known as “Gato Negro” – the second‑in‑command of the Ecuadorian criminal group Los Tiguerones, during an operation in Barranquilla. The suspect, wanted by Ecuador for a 2017 murder and facing a 26‑year sentence, was transferred by air to Bogotá under heavy security before being flown to Guayaquil on 3 July 2026.

Ecuador’s Interior Ministry announced that the detainee will be placed in the El Encuentro prison in Santa Elena pending extradition proceedings. Officials highlighted the joint effort of Ecuadorian police, Colombia’s FIU, the U.S. Marshals Service and Interpol, and said the case also involves a probe into an alleged terrorist plot targeting the minister. The capture underscores cross‑border cooperation against transnational organized crime.