Ecuador agencies audit football club and raid organized‑crime sites
The Financial Analysis Unit (UAFE) formally notified Barcelona Sporting Club that a team of officials would visit the club’s offices to request information and review contracts signed for the 2022‑2026 period. The club confirmed the visit was pre‑coordinated and described the process as a routine administrative audit aimed at ensuring transparency and compliance with regulations.
On 12 July, police in the province of Esmeraldas executed a raid in Rioverde that led to the arrest of a 32‑year‑old criminal known as “El Gato”. Investigators seized a submachine gun, a sub‑fusil, a revolver, ammunition, and about six kilograms of marijuana, linking the suspect to the armed group Los Lobos.
In a separate military operation in Guayaquil, the Ecuadorian army identified a fortified property in the El Fortín district that appeared to be used by the organized‑crime group Los Latin King. Troops recovered packaging materials for illicit substances, a video‑surveillance system, and documents tied to a person with a criminal record for drug‑related offenses and extortion. All evidence was handed over to the judicial authorities for further investigation.