Ecuador arrests man wanted in U.S. for drug trafficking in regional operation

Ecuadorian authorities have arrested Rubén Bermúdez Loor, a man sought by the United States for alleged drug trafficking. The arrest, made in Guayaquil, was part of a regional operation involving Guatemala and Colombia, which also saw two other individuals apprehended.

Bermúdez Loor, who was subject to an Interpol red notice, is accused of drug trafficking offenses. His capture was the result of coordination between Ecuadorian police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), paving the way for his extradition to the United States.

The operation also led to the arrest of Wilson Mendoza in Guatemala. Mendoza previously held several high-ranking positions within Ecuador's Secretariat of Water between 2007 and 2015, during former President Rafael Correa's administration. Guatemalan authorities state Mendoza is wanted by the U.S. for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

In Colombia, Elixandro Ico Cuervo was arrested for extradition. He is believed to have acted as a link between Colombian dissident groups of the former FARC guerrilla and other criminal organizations, allegedly facilitating criminal finances through businesses in Colombia and Ecuador. Ecuadorian Interior Minister John Reimberg noted that Mendoza is part of Los Choneros, Ecuador's oldest criminal organization, which the U.S. government has designated as a "terrorist" group.