Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced Sunday that authorities have captured Wilmer Geovanny Chavarría Barré, known as “Pipo,” the top leader of the drug trafficking gang Los Lobos.
Interior Minister John Reimberg said the arrest came through “an impeccable and coordinated operation with the Police of Spain” and called Chavarría Barré “the most dangerous and wanted criminal in the region.” He added that Chavarría Barré is believed responsible for at least 400 deaths and had faked his death in 2021 to operate in Europe under a new identity.
Authorities said Chavarría Barré directed international drug trafficking and criminal operations in the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Mexico, and Colombia, with ties to the Ecuador New Generation Cartel and other criminal networks. Noboa called the arrest “a historic blow to the security of Ecuador” and praised international cooperation in combating transnational crime.
