Police forces in Ecuador have arrested a former mayor, who is accused of being the main source of funding for the criminal group Los Lobos, an organization involved in drug trafficking and illegal mining exploitation.
The arrested individual is Elias Baldor Bermeo, nicknamed “BB”, whom Interior Minister John Ryberg described as “the main financier of one of the bloodiest organizations this country has ever seen”.
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According to officials, the arrest of the former mayor of Camilo Ponce Enrique represents a powerful blow to the Los Lobos gang, which for years has amassed millions of dollars in profits through illegal mining.
The administration of President Daniel Noboa, with the support of the United States, is intensifying efforts to uproot criminal groups and drug cartels operating in Ecuadorian territory, as well as to halt the expansion of illegal mining activity.
During the police operation in the Andean province of Azuay, investigators found gold bars stamped with the portrait of the late Pablo Escobar, the notorious Colombian drug lord. A total of six people were detained in the operation, including relatives of Bermeo.
Minister Ryberg added that Elias Baldor Bermeo is also under investigation for directing illegal mining activities and for carrying out attacks with explosive devices.
His statement revealed that, over the period 2023–2025, Bermeo moved approximately $3.2 million through mining companies.
