Ecuador: Information on the operation of drug cartels in Ecuador, their influence on law enforcement authorities, and the protection available to individuals who are threatened by the cartels
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 July 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ECU17635.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ecuador: Information on the operation of drug cartels in Ecuador, their influence on law enforcement authorities, and the protection available to individuals who are threatened by the cartels, 1 July 1994, ECU17635.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aaa812.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Please find attached several news articles related to drug trafficking in Ecuador. Although various sources indicate that Ecuador is not an important transit point in the Andean drug routes, the attachments mention that a high percentage of the prison population in Ecuador is made up of persons convicted for drug-related offenses.
One of the attachments refers to the arrest of a man who was perhaps Ecuador's most important drug trafficker in 1992 (The New York Times 22 July 1992). This trafficker reportedly had links with Colombia and other countries, and connections with senior Ecuadorean law enforcement officials, including the under-secretary of defense. Having pursued the trafficker for three years, the police moved to arrest him following a lead provided by a farmhand's complaint (ibid.).
Another article refers to the dismantling of a drug trafficking ring in the provinces of Pichincha and Loja (El Comercio 10 Nov. 1993). Please refer to the attached document for details on the drug ring and the operation to dismantle it.
Other attachments refer mostly to police actions against drug trafficking rings and contain other news related to drug trafficking in Ecuador from late-1992 to mid-1994. One of the most recent reports refers to the incidence of crime in Ecuador, with statistics for drug-related crimes and specific references to geographic areas (FBIS 29 Apr. 1994, 38). Another attached report provides a more detailed breakdown of the prison population, indicating that the majority of those arrested for drug-related crimes "are not members of powerful drug trafficking organizations" (El Universo 28 Oct. 1993b). The report states that some prominent drug traffickers are imprisoned, while many others have fled the country.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
El Comercio [Quito, in Spanish]. 10 November 1993. "Police Seize 22 Kg. Cocaine, Capture Gang." (FBIS-LAT-93-240 16 Dec. 1993, pp. 38-39)
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) [Washington, DC]. Latin American Daily Report. 29 April 1994. FBIS-LAT-94-083. "Crime, Human Rights, Unemployment Statistics."
The New York Times. 22 July 1992. Late Edition-Final. James Brooke. "With Graft Rife, Nation Reins In the Cocaine King." (NEXIS)
El Universo [Guayaquil, in Spanish]. 28 October 1993. "Prison Population 39 Percent Drug Traffickers." (FBIS-LAT-93-232 6 Dec. 1993, pp. 61-63)
Attachments
Andean Newsletter [Lima]. May 1994. "Serious Accusations Against Police Chief," p. 5.
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 30 December 1993. "Ambush by FARC Rebels of Ecuadoreans Said to Be Aimed at DEA Agents." (NEXIS)
El Comercio [Quito, in Spanish]. 10 November 1993. "Police Seize 22 Kg. Cocaine, Capture Gang." (FBIS-LAT-93-240 16 Dec. 1993, pp. 38-39)
Drug Trafficking Update [Lima]. January 1994. "Ecuador: Police in Tight Spot," p. 3.
. August 1993. "Ecuador: Failed Escape," p. 6.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) [Washington, DC]. Latin American Daily Report. 29 April 1994. FBIS-LAT-94-083. "Crime, Human Rights, Unemployment Statistics," pp. 38-39.
Latin American Weekly Report [London]. 26 November 1992. "Ecuador: Money Laundering." London: Latin American Newsletters.
. 22 October 1992. "Imprisoned General Takes a Walk." London: Latin American Newsletters.
The New York Times. 22 July 1992. Late Edition-Final. James Brooke. "With Graft Rife, Nation Reins in the Cocaine King." (NEXIS)
El Universo [Guayaquil, in Spanish]. 28 October 1993. "Drugs Intended for Inmates Seized." (FBIS-LAT-93-232 6 Dec. 1993, pp. 60-61)
. 28 October 1993. "Prison Population 39 Percent Drug Traffickers." (FBIS-LAT-93-232 6 Dec. 1993, pp. 61-63)
. 21 September 1993. "Police Describe Cocaine Traffickers' Operations." (FBIS-LAT-93-209 1 Nov. 1993, p. 44)