Fugitive wanted in killing of Ecuadorian candidate arrested in Mexico

A antheral who is wanted successful Colombia and Ecuador for the assassination of Ecuadorian statesmanlike campaigner Fernando Villavicencio successful Quito successful 2023 was arrested successful Mexico and transferred to Colombia, authorities said Wednesday.

Ángel Esteban Aguilar Morales, an Ecuadorian national, arrived successful Bogota connected Wednesday, wherever helium was intercepted astatine El Dorado Airport by Colombia's migration authorities. No details were instantly provided astir his migration presumption oregon whether helium was formally extradited.

Aguilar, known arsenic "Lobo Menor," is 1 of the alleged ringleaders of the Ecuadorian transgression pack "Los Lobos" (The Wolves) and 1 of the country's most-wanted fugitives, taxable to an Interpol Red Notice - a planetary alert utilized to find fugitives worldwide. In September, Los Lobos was designated a violent organization by the United States.

Mexican officials said that Aguilar was detected by authorities the infinitesimal helium entered the country, truthful helium was placed nether real-time surveillance. Subsequently, utilizing quality provided by Colombia, authorities said they obtained accusation that allowed them to pinpoint his determination successful Mexico City.

Mexican Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch posted an image of Aguilar connected X aft the arrest.

Colombian constabulary officers escort a antheral identified arsenic Angel Esteban Aguilar, a person of Ecuador's Los Lobos transgression group, aft his arrest, who is wanted successful transportation with the 2023 assassination of Ecuadorean statesmanlike campaigner Fernando Villavicencio, astatine the planetary airdrome El Dorado successful Bogota, Colombia, March 18, 2026. Colombian Migration/Handout via REUTERS

The apprehension successful Mexico - which authorities said was carried retired without the "use of violence" - resulted successful Aguilar being placed successful the custody of the National Migration Institute to find his ineligible presumption wrong the country, information officials said, without specifying if helium had been deported.

"The idiosyncratic was attempting to evade migration controls by utilizing a mendacious individuality arsenic a Colombian citizen," the Colombian migration bureau said successful a statement.

In April 2024, Mexico broke disconnected diplomatic relations with Ecuador pursuing a subject raid connected the Mexican Embassy successful Quito. The cognition targeted erstwhile Vice President Jorge Glas, a corruption fishy who had been seeking asylum determination since precocious 2023.

Representatives for Colombia's overseas ministry and Colombia's migration bureau didn't instantly respond to a petition for comment.

According to the Colombian police, Aguilar had reportedly entered Mexico from Medellin, Colombia, utilizing a forged passport with the "express intent of strengthening transgression networks successful the region."

On X, Colombian President Gustavo Petro highlighted the constabulary practice betwixt Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico, hailing it arsenic "a important stroke against transnational organized crime."

In February, the Ecuadorian Attorney General's Office presented caller grounds seeking to formally nexus 3 individuals - including Aguilar - to the Villavicencio case. These individuals allegedly played a logistical and operational relation successful the sidesplitting connected Aug. 9, 2023, erstwhile the past statesmanlike campaigner was leaving a governmental rally successful the bluish assemblage of the capital.

Fernando Villavicencio speaks to journalists upon his accomplishment astatine the Attorney General's Office successful Quito connected August 8, 2023.  RODRIGO BUENDIA/AFP via Getty Images

In summation to the Villavicencio case, the constabulary indicated that "Lobo Menor" allegedly has ties to Mexican cartels and to Néstor Gregorio Vera, known arsenic Iván Mordisco - the person of a dissident faction of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, oregon FARC, guerrilla group, whose members didn't adhere to a bid statement signed with Colombia's authorities successful 2016.

Last year, different person of Los Lobos was arrested astatine his location successful the coastal metropolis of Portoviejo. Carlos D, wide known by his alias "El Chino," was the second-in-command of Los Lobos  and "considered a high-value target," the equipped forces said successful a statement.

In 2024, the United States declared Los Lobos to beryllium the largest cause trafficking enactment successful Ecuador. While announcing sanctions against Los Lobos, U.S. officials said the pack "contributes importantly to the unit gripping the country" and its web includes thousands of members backed by Mexico's Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación — New Generation — and Sinaloa Cartel, which makes the pack peculiarly dangerous.

Criminal gang violence continues unabated successful Ecuador pursuing the recapture successful June 2025 of the country's biggest cause lord, Adolfo Macías, who leads the Los Choneros gang, aft his flight from a maximum-security situation successful 2024. In July 2025, the Ecuadoran government extradited Macias to the United States, wherever helium faces aggregate cause trafficking and firearms charges.

Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.

In:

• Drug Cartels
• Mexico
• Murder
• Ecuador