Mexico arrests Ángel Esteban Aguilar Morales in Villavicencio assassination, sends him to Colombia

Mexican authorities have arrested Ángel Esteban Aguilar Morales, known by the alias 'Lobo Menor,' in Mexico City following intelligence provided by Colombian officials.

“- Published The leader of one of Ecuador's biggest drug-trafficking gangs has been arrested in Mexico City, officials say”

BBC

Aguilar was apprehended without the use of violence and is now in the custody of Mexico's National Migration Institute to determine his legal status within the country.

BBC

The Colombian migration agency revealed that Aguilar had been attempting to evade immigration controls by using a false identity as a Colombian citizen.

He had entered Mexico from Medellin, Colombia on a forged passport with the 'express purpose of strengthening criminal networks in the region.'

His arrest represents a significant development in transnational law enforcement cooperation between Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro highlighted the police cooperation as 'a significant blow against transnational organized crime.'

The operation comes amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between Mexico and Ecuador following Mexico's breakoff of diplomatic relations in April 2024.

Aguilar faces serious charges related to his alleged role as the mastermind behind the August 9, 2023 assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

The murder occurred when Villavicencio, a former journalist and anti-graft campaigner who was well-placed in opinion polls ahead of the vote, was leaving a political rally in Quito.

CityNews Halifax

Gunmen riding motorcycles attacked Villavicencio during the assassination attempt that shook Ecuador's political landscape.

Aguilar had reportedly entered Mexico with the 'express purpose of strengthening criminal networks in the region.'

He has ties to Mexican cartels as well as Néstor Gregorio Vera, known as Iván Mordisco—the leader of a dissident faction of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

His criminal history includes a 20-year jail sentence for murder in 2013, though he was granted parole after serving half his sentence in 2022.

Authorities allege he used his parole to commit 'a slew of other crimes, some abroad.'

The arrest operation represents a significant trilateral law enforcement achievement between Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico.

“Angel Aguilar, second from left, after his arrest by Colombia immigration officials Colombian immigration authorities said Wednesday that they had arrested an Ecuadoran drug trafficker linked to the 2023 murder of a popular candidate just before Ecuador's presidential election”

Fox21Online

This cooperation comes amidst complex diplomatic relations between the nations.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro emphasized the cooperation, stating 'This outcome... confirms the efficacy of trilateral cooperation between Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico' on the social media platform X.

Petro further described Aguilar as 'one of the world's most notorious murderers' in another X post.

The operation was carried out by a joint team involving Ecuador's navy, security forces, and migration officers.

This cooperation occurs against the backdrop of escalating diplomatic and trade disputes between Ecuador and Colombia.

Petro had alleged Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa's administration of a bombing on the Colombian side of the border, though these tensions haven't prevented successful criminal investigations.

Aguilar's arrest has significant implications for the fight against organized crime in Ecuador and the region.

This is particularly regarding Los Lobos ('The Wolves'), Ecuador's largest drug trafficking gang.

CityNews Halifax

The US declared Los Lobos a Foreign Terrorist Organisation last year, accusing it of 'terrorising and inflicting brutal violence on the Ecuadorean people.'

The gang has deep connections to the powerful Jalisco New Generation cartel in Mexico.

Los Lobos is held responsible for crimes including drug trafficking, illegal mining, extortion, and murder.

In July 2024, Ecuador handed down jail terms of up to 34 years to five suspects accused of involvement in Villavicencio's killing.

Another dozen people are currently on trial over the assassination that shook Ecuador's political landscape.

The capture of Aguilar represents a major victory for Ecuador's efforts to combat organized crime following the high-profile political assassination.