Ecuadorian authorities prosecute drug trafficking networks

Ecuadorian authorities are targeting organized crime networks involved in large-scale narcotics trafficking. In one case, Irvin José R. C. was sentenced to 19 years in prison for high-scale drug trafficking following an arrest in the Carcelén sector of Quito. The sentence includes a fine of 600 unified basic salaries.

In a separate major operation, the Fiscalía General del Estado is prosecuting 36 individuals suspected of belonging to a criminal network with alleged links to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The group is accused of collecting, transporting, and exporting cocaine to international markets, including Europe, the United States, and Central America, by hiding shipments in banana containers.

The investigation indicates the network operated primarily across the provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos, and El Oro, utilizing warehouses and banana plantations to store drugs. A judge has granted a 90-day instruction period to further define the specific roles of the 36 accused, including alleged leader Trujillo Gómez Jinson Emilfo, known as 'Gran Jefe'.