Ecuador seizes $313m cartel assets

Hundreds of Ecuadorean police have executed a significant operation, seizing over $313 million in real estate assets linked to the Commandos de la Frontera, an armed group involved in organized crime and drug trafficking. The interior ministry reported that this group has been channeling substantial illicit funds into the national financial system. President Daniel Noboa hailed the operation as a historic blow to criminal economies in Ecuador.

The crackdown involved simultaneous raids across multiple provinces, including Esmeraldas, Sucumbíos, and Guayas, where authorities uncovered luxury homes, ranches, commercial properties, and vehicles financed through drug trafficking and extortion. Interior Minister Mónica Palencia explained that the seized properties were part of a sophisticated network of front companies and straw owners used to conceal illegal revenues. Investigators also discovered safe houses containing cash, weapons, and documents related to money laundering.

Noboa emphasized that the operation sends a clear message that criminal organizations will lose not only their weapons but also the wealth that sustains them. He credited new legislation passed earlier in the year, which grants the state enhanced powers to freeze and confiscate suspected criminal assets swiftly, as a key factor in the operation's success.

The Comandos de la Frontera are believed to have connections with Colombian dissident groups and Mexican cartels, controlling smuggling routes and employing violence to maintain territorial dominance. Intelligence reports indicate that the group has been expanding its operations within Ecuador, leading to increased attacks on police and security forces.

The confiscated assets will be allocated to a special fund for public security projects, including the construction of new prisons and the enhancement of law enforcement infrastructure. However, critics have raised concerns about the need for oversight in expedited asset seizures to prevent potential abuses or wrongful targeting.

This operation is part of a broader national security strategy that has seen military deployments in troubled provinces, stricter border controls, and the transfer of gang leaders to high-security prisons. Despite these efforts, violence associated with organized crime continues to escalate, with homicide rates in Ecuador more than doubling since 2021, positioning the country among the most violent in Latin America.