Ecuadorian authorities have arrested four individuals, including two Mexican nationals, as part of a large-scale drug trafficking operation in the coastal province of Manabí. The operation, led by Ecuador’s National Unit for Chemical Substances Investigation (UNSQ), resulted in the seizure of approximately 1.5 tons of cocaine hydrochloride, adding to Ecuador’s growing list of significant drug interceptions.
The arrests were made on Saturday in the Pueblo Nuevo neighborhood of Portoviejo. During a search of a local residence, police discovered 1,295 packages shaped like bricks, containing an estimated 1,477.5 kilograms (1.5 tons) of cocaine hydrochloride. Authorities report that this quantity could yield around 14,775 doses in the illicit drug market.
#ATENCIÓN|| INCAUTAMOS MÁS DE UNA TONELADA DE CLORHIDRATO DE COCAÍNA
— Policía Ecuador (@PoliciaEcuador) November 3, 2024
Tras labores de investigación y allanamiento a un inmueble, decomisamos 1 200 paquetes de droga en el sector de Pueblo Nuevo, #Manabí.
📌 En el operativo se aprehendió a dos sujetos y evitamos la… pic.twitter.com/FrdQWoAaiE
The four individuals detained include Ecuadorian national Jhonny Marcelo Z. D., Mexican nationals Jesús Francisco O. L. and Luis Henrique L. R., and Colombian national Andrés Felipe G. Ch. The Ecuadorian National Police also confiscated a vehicle and six mobile phones, which have been submitted as evidence to judicial authorities.
Police estimate the international black market value of the seized cocaine to be around $29.55 million, with an approximate local value of $2.95 million. This significant seizure highlights Ecuador’s strategic role in the international drug trade, as it has increasingly become a transit route for drugs originating from Colombia and Peru, the world’s largest cocaine producers.
Ecuador has also become the third-largest country in terms of drug seizures, following Colombia and the United States. Over the past three years, Ecuador has averaged around 200 tons of confiscated drugs annually. In a record-breaking year, Ecuadorian authorities have already seized 246 tons of narcotics from January to October, surpassing previous totals.
The country’s escalating drug interdiction efforts underscore the ongoing battle against organized crime networks that use Ecuador as a key transit point for smuggling drugs to North America, Europe, and other global markets.
