A drug-trafficking organization was dismantled in Ecuador and Colombia

(CNN Spanish) — Ecuador and Colombia claim to have destroyed a transnational gang dedicated to international drug trafficking that operates in the provinces of Esmeraldas and Manabi, off the coast of Ecuador, senior military commanders from both countries announced at a joint press conference.

In total, 22 Ecuadorian nationals and six Colombians were arrested in the operation, including Heder Cuero Valencia, aka “Curva,” who is considered a “high value target” in Colombia and has an arrest warrant, according to authorities. and extradition to the United States by the Southern District Court of Florida, for alleged distribution of cocaine in that country.

Valencia’s brother, Deron Cuero Valencia, aka “Pirate”, was also captured.

The operation, named “Gran Fenix ​​03,” had the participation of the National Police and the Ecuadorian Navy, under the direction of the State Attorney General’s Office (UNIDOT), together with the National Police and the Colombian Navy, officials were informed. a sentence.

The investigation involved four operational actions between August 2022 and August 2023, in which Ecuadorian and Colombian authorities made multiple arrests and collected evidence of the organization’s alleged illegal actions.

As announced this Sunday, the first operational action was carried out on August 3, 2022 and ended with the arrest of three people and the seizure of a boat and 400 kilograms of cocaine.

A month and a half later, on September 24, 2022, in another operation, two people were arrested, another boat and 40 fuel containers were seized.

A third operation by authorities took place on April 9, 2023, when two individuals were arrested and another boat and approximately 1,380 kilograms of cocaine were seized.

Finally, as a strategic coup in Ecuador, on August 23, 2023, an operation was carried out in the provinces of Esmeraldas and Manabi, in which 21 suspects were captured, 945 kilograms of cocaine, six firearms and 396 cartridges were seized. to the Ecuadorian military authorities.

One of Ecuador’s operational actions looked like this. (Credit: National Police of Ecuador)

They explained that those involved allegedly used speedboats in waters off the coast of Ecuador to reference points on the high seas, where they loaded them onto Mexican-flagged vessels located off the coast of Mexico, responsible for the release of the substance. Illegal in North American countries.

He asserts that “this international criminal organization maintained ties with the Franco Benavides structure of GAOML EMC alias ‘Ivan Mordisco’ and Oliver Sinistera of GAOML ‘La Segunda Marquetalia’, who were in charge of the supply of cocaine, and with the Sinaloa Cartel. In Mexico, distributed to consumer markets.”