Ecuador Arrests Nine Suspected Members of FARC Dissident Group

Nine suspected members of the Comandos de la Frontera were arrested in Ecuador's Amazon region during what authorities described as a reserved operation. The group is a dissident faction of Colombia's former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

The Ecuadorian Attorney General's Office said it worked with the National Police to make the arrests in Alto Punino, with support from the armed forces. Authorities located a camp there and seized two rifles, more than 300 rounds of ammunition, 9 mm weapons and military-style clothing.

The suspects' legal status was expected to be decided in the following hours. President Daniel Noboa has designated the Comandos de la Frontera as a terrorist group. Authorities also accuse the group of involvement in the May 2025 ambush that killed 11 Ecuadorian soldiers during an operation against illegal mining in Alto Punino, an area between the Amazonian provinces of Orellana and Napo.

According to Ecuadorian authorities, the Comandos de la Frontera have allegedly established ties with Los Lobos, currently Ecuador's most powerful criminal organization, to enter Ecuadorian territory and engage in illegal mining in areas including Alto Punino.

The arrests came as Ecuadorian courts handed 13-year prison sentences to 14 people, including Roberto Álvarez Vera, known as Gerente, who authorities consider the group's leader in Ecuador. In the same case, involving 17 individuals and five companies accused of money laundering, the court sentenced Mentor A. to 10 years. Interior Minister John Reimberg recently said Gerente was among those potentially eligible for extradition to the United States.