Ecuadorian former official arrested in Guatemala for U.S. extradition

Wilson Mendoza Barberan, a 61-year-old Ecuadorian national and former public official, was arrested at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala. The arrest was carried out by anti-narcotics agents from the Subdirección General de Análisis de Información Antinarcótica (SGAIA) of the Guatemalan National Civil Police.

Mendoza Barberan was apprehended while attempting to travel toward Ecuador. He is currently subject to an arrest warrant for extradition to the United States. U.S. authorities have charged him with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance containing cocaine, alleging he operated with the knowledge that the drugs were intended for illegal importation into the United States.

Previously, Mendoza Barberan held various positions within the Ecuadorian government, specifically within the Secretaría Nacional del Agua (Senagua) during the administration of Rafael Correa. His roles included serving as the subsecretary of the Manabí Hydrographic Demarcation and acting as a deputy minister for the water secretariat.