Leader of Ecuador's Los Lobos drug trafficking gang arrested in Spain

FILE PHOTO: A weapon is shown at a police station in the aftermath of a wave of violence that saw the storming of a TV station on-air and explosions around the nation, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, January 11, 2024. The sign reads 'Terrorist group Los Lobos'. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado/File Photo

QUITO (Reuters) -Ecuador has arrested the leader of one of the country's biggest drug trafficking gangs, Los Lobos, in an operation with Spanish police, President Daniel Noboa said on Sunday.

Wilmer Geovanny Chavarria Barre, known as "Pipo," helms a powerful group that the U.S. in September designated a foreign terrorist organization, along with its rival, Los Choneros.