Blow to drug trafficking in Ecuador: Police seize almost 3 tons of cocaine in Manta
Ecuador’s security forces achieved a significant breakthrough in the fight against organized crime by bringing the total amount of cocaine seized in the port city of Manta to 2.9 tons. This discovery comes amidst an operational deployment intensified by the nighttime curfew in effect in four provinces of the country.
Initially, the authorities had reported the seizure of 1.51 tons of the illicit substance, found in 1,353 packages hidden in jute sacks buried in a strategic area of the Manabí province. However, tracking efforts continued, allowing agents to locate a second hideout in the same sector with 1,250 additional packages, adding 1.41 more tons to the seized haul.
This is a message for you, chonero. We are not only catching the ringleaders, weakening your structures, or seizing your assets; but now the Police have found your hideouts.
John Reimberg, Minister of the Interior
With these statements, Interior Minister John Reimberg emphasized the direct impact against the structure of Los Choneros, one of the criminal organizations with the longest history in Ecuadorian territory. Manabí is considered a nerve center for drug trafficking operations, from where speedboat transport is used to move shipments to North America.
Security measures in the face of the wave of violence
- The operation is part of the security strategy implemented by President Daniel Noboa under the declaration of war against criminal gangs.
- To date, 289 arrests have been reported during restricted hours, with 73 individuals captured for serious crimes such as extortion and organized crime.
- The nightly curfew will remain in effect until the end of the month in the provinces most affected by the territorial dispute between gangs.
Despite the Government’s efforts to contain insecurity through states of emergency and curfews, the country faces a complex challenge. Ecuador closed the previous period with a record figure of 9,283 homicides, consolidating itself as one of the territories with the highest rates of violence in all of Latin America.
