Ecuadorian police dismantle extortion and kidnapping networks

Ecuadorian authorities have conducted major operations against extortion and kidnapping networks across several provinces. In separate law enforcement actions, police and prosecutors dismantled criminal structures involved in systematic threats and violent crimes.

In one large-scale operation targeting the 'La Resiliencia-La Hermandad' faction—linked to the 'Los Lobos' gang—24 individuals were detained across seven provinces. Among those arrested are an active-duty military member and a transit agent from the Comisión de Tránsito del Ecuador (CTE). This group is accused of demanding weekly fees and monthly payments reaching up to $20,000, as well as involvement in the burning of public buses and the murder of a taxi driver.

Additional operations, titled 'Libertad y Cero Impunidad', resulted in the arrest of 14 people across nine cities. These interventions led to the rescue of a kidnapping victim and prevented a $63,200 extortion payment. Arrests were made in locations including Guayaquil, Quito, La Maná, and Ibarra for various crimes, including threatening merchants and farmers, and the kidnapping of a transport platform driver.