Ecuador security operations target organized crime in Guayaquil and Quito

Ecuadorian authorities have conducted several high-profile security operations targeting organized crime across multiple provinces. In Guayaquil, the National Police executed Operation ‘Encuentro 129-Manglar’ at a shrimp farm, seizing 16 rifles, approximately 5,000 rounds of ammunition, 90 magazines, three boats, and five outboard motors. Four Ecuadorian citizens were apprehended during the raid, which targeted a suspected weapons storage site.

In Quito, security forces intensified controls under the ‘Plan de Protección Quito’. A major operation in the La Michelena sector resulted in nine arrests, the seizure of 5 kg of drugs, 49 bladed weapons, and the closure of seven establishments. Additionally, the Metropolitan Control Agency reported the closure of 128 nightlife venues in Quito between January and August 2026 due to various infractions, including lack of permits and suspected drug activity.

Other significant law enforcement actions include the arrest of two suspects linked to a 2025 car bomb attack near a Guayaquil shopping center, and the detention of four individuals in Loja suspected of extorting a merchant for $5,000 on behalf of the ‘Los Choneros’ criminal group. In El Oro province, over 200 military personnel were deployed to Puerto Bolívar following violent incidents involving dismembered remains, targeting criminal structures such as ‘Los Lobos’ and ‘Sao Box’.