Mexico Arrests Alleged Cartel Ringleader 'Lobo Menor' Linked to Killing of Ecuadorian Presidential Candidate

Mexican authorities arrested a man wanted in Colombia and Ecuador for allegedly carrying out the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in 2023.

Identified as Ángel Esteban Aguilar Morales, the suspect was arrested in Mexico after attempting to evade immigration controls using a false identity as a Colombian citizen. Aguilar was later transferred to Colombia, although it remains unclear whether he has been formally extradited, as CBS News reports.

Mexican officials said Aguilar was detected by authorities as soon as he entered the country and was placed under real-time surveillance. Using intelligence provided by Colombia, authorities said they were able to pinpoint his location in Mexico City.

Also known as "Lobo Menor," Aguilar is believed to be one of Ecuador's most-wanted fugitives and an alleged ringleader of the Ecuadorian gang Los Lobos.

Colombian police said Aguilar entered Mexico from Medellín using a forged passport with the "express purpose of strengthening criminal networks in the region," CBS News noted.

Lobo Menor is one of three individuals formally linked by Ecuadorian prosecutors to Villavicencio's killing, who was shot on Aug. 9, 2023, as he was leaving a political rally in Quito.

Authorities also said Aguilar has ties to Mexican cartels and to Néstor Gregorio Vera, known as Iván Mordisco, the leader of a dissident faction of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

The arrest of Aguilar is a major blow to Los Lobos, which already lost its leader last year. In November, Spanish authorities arrested Wilmer Geovanny Chavarría Barré, also known as "Pipo," the leader of Los Lobos. At the time of his arrest, Ecuadorian officials believed him to be responsible for at least 400 deaths and for forging a strong alliance with Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

Ecuadorian officials said Chavarría Barré had previously faked his death and assumed a new identity to hide in Europe while continuing to direct his criminal network from abroad. He also allegedly underwent as many as seven facial surgeries to avoid detection.

Who are Los Lobos?

Originally a group of hitmen working for their now-rival gang Los Choneros, Los Lobos rose to prominence in 2020 after breaking away from the organization. The group evolved from a small gang into a criminal enterprise involved in drug trafficking, illegal gold mining and murder for hire.

Through its leadership, Los Lobos forged a key alliance with the Jalisco cartel, allowing the group to strengthen trafficking routes and expand its operations across the world.

The partnership between Los Lobos and CJNG went beyond drug shipments. U.S. and Ecuadorian authorities say the Jalisco cartel also supplied the group with weapons, training and strategic support, helping Los Lobos surpass Los Choneros as Ecuador's most dangerous criminal organization.

As reported by Infobae, Ecuadorian officials estimate that Los Lobos has more than 8,000 members operating in 16 of the country's 24 provinces.