Ecuador arrests leader of Los Lobos gang

(Patria) - Ecuadorian authorities announced on Saturday that they have captured the leader of the Los Lobos gang, which is accused of involvement in the assassination of an anti-corruption presidential candidate last August, reported Reuters.

Ecuador is struggling to bring violence under control amid a ninety-day state of emergency declared to combat 22 gangs, including Los Lobos, which are considered terrorist groups.

During the capture of the man known by the pseudonym Vicente, authorities reported that two alleged criminals were injured. Soldiers also arrested twelve people and seized $200,000, as well as various types of weapons and ammunition, and explosives.

Last month, the prosecutor general's office announced that five suspects accused of involvement in the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was shot dead in Quito on the eve of the elections, would go to trial.

Two leaders of Los Lobos accused of planning Villavicencio's assassination are already
imprisoned. Villavicencio, a former legislator and journalist, was shot while leaving an election event, becoming the most prominent victim of the country's escalating violence.

Ecuadorian authorities typically do not release the full names of individuals they pursue. Los Lobos has thousands of
members, according to some reports, and operates within Ecuador's prison system.