Ecuadorian authorities detain and charge Walter David L. R. for illicit arms trafficking in Quito

On 29 July 2026, Ecuadorian armed forces carried out a tactical raid in the Ciudad Bicentenario sector of north Quito under the state of exception declared by Executive Decree No. 423. The operation resulted in the arrest in flagrante of Walter David L. R., alias “Walter”, alleged leader of the Los Lobos criminal organization.

Authorities seized five improvised dynamite sticks from a vehicle trunk, nine additional sticks inside the residence, two firearms (one industrial, one homemade), assorted ammunition, nine mobile phones, a laptop, a police‑style vest, contraband cigarettes and allegedly adulterated alcoholic beverages. The explosives were destroyed in a controlled detonation.

The prosecutor presented the collected evidence, and a criminal‑law judge ordered preventive detention for Walter David L. R. and set a 30‑day deadline for the continuation of the investigation.