| Founded | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Founding location |  Ecuador |
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Ethnicity | Ecuadorian |
| Membership | 8,000+[1] |
| Leader(s) | Wilmer Chavarría (former), Alexander Quesada[2][3] |
| Allies | Jalisco New Generation Cartel[4] Los Tiguerones Los Chone Killers Albanian mafia[5] FARC 48th Front[6] |
| Rivals | Los Choneros |
Los Lobos (English: The Wolves) is an Ecuadorian criminal organization that specializes in drug trafficking and working as hitmen for international partners or allied groups.[7] Los Lobos began as a splinter group of the Los Choneros drug cartel, but broke away in 2020 after the death of Jorge Luis Zambrano, along with Los Chone Killers and Los Tiguerones. The group has over 8,000 members and mainly operates in cities of Latacunga, Cuenca, and Machala, and also in the province of Pastaza.[8] Los Lobos participates in exporting cocaine from Ecuador.[9]
- ^ "Who is Los Lobos?". World Bulletin. 10 August 2023.
- ^ "Lobos". InSight Crime. 8 November 2022.
- ^ "Quién es Bermúdez, el reo cuyo traslado a La Roca ha generado disturbios en El Inca". El Universo (in Spanish). 18 November 2022.
- ^ Green, Emily (10 August 2023). "Ecuador's Fernando Villavicencio Said He Wasn't Afraid of the Cartels. Then He Was Assassinated". Vice.
- ^ "Albanian-linked gang leader 'The Savage' broken out of prison as cartels vie for power in Ecuador". The Telegraph. 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Colombian and Mexican Cartels Pick Sides in Ecuador's Drug War". Insight Crime. 9 May 2022.
- ^ "Lobos". InSight Crime. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "¿Quiénes son la banda Los Lobos? Te explicamos". GK (in Spanish). 21 October 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Narcotrafficking Increases Violence in Ecuador". Diálogo Américas. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.