Ecuador charges former interior minister and six others in 2023 assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio

Ecuadorian prosecutors have charged former Interior Minister Jose Serrano and six others as indirect masterminds in the 2023 assassination of anti-corruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The suspects, many linked to the powerful Los Lobos cartel, allegedly financed, planned, and coordinated the hit. Five of the accused remain fugitives in the US, Venezuela, and Spain, prompting Interpol red notice requests. This follow-up action builds on the 2024 convictions of five co-conspirators.

Villavicencio assassination charges

• ▪Fernando Villavicencio, an anti-corruption journalist and legislator, was shot and killed at a campaign event in Quito 11 days before the 2023 presidential election.
• ▪Ecuador's Prosecutor's Office formally charged seven people on August 8, 2026, on suspicion of being indirect perpetrators and masterminds in the 2023 assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

Los Lobos cartel involvement

• ▪The seven individuals charged on August 8, 2026, were accused of playing an indirect role in the killing of Fernando Villavicencio, with many having links to the Los Lobos criminal gang.
• ▪Los Lobos gang leader Wilmer "Pipo" Chavarria allegedly planned the murder of Fernando Villavicencio in exchange for $1 million.

Accused masterminds identified

• ▪Ecuadorian prosecutor Ana Hidalgo alleged in a filing that former legislator Ronny Aleaga coordinated actions to carry out the murder of Fernando Villavicencio.
• ▪Ecuadorian prosecutors accused former Interior Minister Jose Serrano of providing the Los Lobos gang with information about Fernando Villavicencio's whereabouts.
• ▪Ecuadorian prosecutors accused businessman Xavier Jordan of financing and planning the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio.

Fugitive locations extradition

• ▪Angel Esteban Aguilar, also known as Lobo Menor, was arrested in Mexico City in March 2026 and returned to Ecuador after a red notice was issued over the murder of Fernando Villavicencio.
• ▪Among the accused, Jose Serrano and Xavier Jordan are located in the United States, Ronny Aleaga is in Venezuela, and Wilmer Chavarria is in Spain with a pending extradition request.
• ▪Five of the seven newly charged suspects are considered fugitives, prompting the Ecuadorian Attorney General's Office to request Interpol red notices for their capture and extradition.

Ecuador organized crime context

• ▪Ecuador's geography between Colombia and Peru has turned it into a key transit country for cocaine, with cartels like Los Lobos using violence and corruption to control supply routes.
• ▪The Los Lobos gang is reported to have deep connections to the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Mexico.

Previous convictions prison deaths

• ▪Five people linked to the Los Lobos gang were convicted and jailed in 2024 for orchestrating the hit on Fernando Villavicencio, with some receiving prison terms of up to 34 years.
• ▪The suspected gunman in the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead at the scene, while six other suspects were found murdered in prison while awaiting trial.