Leader of Ecuador's Los Lobos arrested in Mexico City
Mar 19th 2026
Angel Esteban Aguilar, alias Lobo Menor, was arrested at Mexico City airport and extradited to Colombia after a trilateral operation that links him to the 2023 killing of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
- Angel Esteban Aguilar, known as Lobo Menor, was detained at Mexico City airport using a false identity.
- He is accused of masterminding the 2023 assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
- The arrest was carried out jointly by authorities from Colombia, Mexico and Ecuador.
- Mexico extradited Aguilar to Colombia to face charges including drug trafficking, extortion and homicide.
- Colombian President Gustavo Petro called the arrest a major blow against transnational organized crime.
- The arrest comes amid regional tensions over drug policy and heightened pressure from the United States on Latin American governments