Arrest of Notorious Gang Leader in Mexico City
Authorities have apprehended Ángel Esteban Aguilar Morales, also known as Lobo Menor or Little Wolf, a prominent figure in one of Ecuador's largest drug-trafficking gangs, in Mexico City. Ecuador's interior minister, John Reimberg, confirmed that Aguilar was wanted in connection with the 2023 murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
Reimberg further stated that Aguilar had acquired identification documents under a false Colombian identity. Mexico's security minister, Omar García Harfuch, reported that Aguilar, a member of the cartel Los Lobos, was subject to an Interpol red notice and was associated with crimes including drug trafficking, extortion, and homicide.
"This result represents a significant blow against transnational organised crime and confirms the effectiveness of trilateral co-operation between Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico in the fight against multi-crime networks," said Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who described Aguilar as "one of the world's most notorious assassins."
Background on the Murder of Fernando Villavicencio
Fernando Villavicencio, a member of Ecuador's national assembly and a former journalist known for his anti-corruption campaigns, was fatally shot in August 2023 as he departed a rally in Quito, the capital. Subsequently, five individuals linked to Los Lobos, including Carlos Edwin Angulo, leader of one of the gang's cells, were convicted for the murder a year later.
Prosecutors have alleged that Angulo, widely referred to as The Invisible, orchestrated the assassination from within the Quito prison where he is incarcerated, a claim he denies.
Los Lobos Gang Structure and Aguilar’s Criminal History
Aguilar is among several lieutenants serving under the ultimate leader of Los Lobos, Wilmer "Pipo" Chavarría Barré. Chavarría Barré had previously faked his death to evade prison but was captured in Spain in 2025. Aguilar was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2013 for the murder of the brother of Ecuador's former interior minister, José Serrano.
According to prosecutors, Aguilar was involved in ordering the hit on Villavicencio but managed to escape after being granted parole, as reported by the Mexican newspaper El Universal.
At the time of his arrest, Aguilar was using the alias Juan Carlos Montero Mestre. Ecuadorian and Colombian police had tracked him from the Colombian cities of Medellín and Itaguí over a two-month period, according to the Ecuadorian news site Primicias.
Regional Context and International Cooperation
Ecuador, a key transit country for South American drug trafficking, has been strengthening ties with the United States under President Daniel Noboa, who has frequently deployed the military to combat crime. The Trump administration designated Los Lobos as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation last year, citing the gang's role in "terrorising and inflicting brutal violence on the Ecuadorean people."
Los Lobos is reported to have strong connections with the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Mexico. Ecuador's geographic position, situated between Colombia and Peru—the world's largest cocaine producers—has made it a critical corridor for illicit drug shipments.
It is estimated that approximately 70% of the cocaine produced in Colombia and Peru is trafficked through Ecuador.
