Mica for cartelinsider.com
Some referred to him as the Ecuadorian Pablo Escobar and he was recently handed over by the authorities of Ecuador to the United States. This is Wilder Emilio Sánchez Farfán, a man who was accused of having ties to the Mexican criminal groups Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and Sinaloa Cartel.
The extradition of the drug lord was announced by the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute, INPEC of Ecuador on Thursday, January 25th. It is worth noting that this man, who is also known as “El Gato,” was captured by Ecuadorian authorities in February of last year.
The Cat, at one point, was identified as one of the most prominent criminals in the world due to his ability to transport large quantities of cocaine from Ecuador to US territory, using ground, air, and sea vehicles.
In February 2022, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the Department of the Treasury sanctioned two individuals, including a Mexican citizen, who is a close associate of Ismael El Mayo Zambada, according to US authorities.
When Sánchez Farfán was sanctioned along with Mexican Miguel Ángel Valdez Ruiz, it was reported that a man from Culiacán served as a link between the Ecuadorian drug lord and “El Mayo”, a man who has never set foot in prison.
Valdez Ruiz, a Mexican national, is a drug trafficker from Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, who imports cocaine from Ecuador and is supplied and works directly with Sánchez Farfán. Valdez Ruiz serves as an intermediary between Sánchez Farfán and Ismael Zambada García, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.
But reports from US authorities also mention that El Gato Farfán was also involved with the criminal group led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, El Mencho. To establish ties with the cartel of the four letters, he would have sent representatives from his organization to Mexico, with the purpose of drug trafficking.
In addition, Sánchez Farfán sent representatives of his organization to Mexico to meet with members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) to establish a working relationship for importing several tons of cocaine from Ecuador to Mexico.
When Emilio Sánchez Farfán was arrested, Ecuadorian authorities also seized a property whose photos were shared by the then-president Guillermo Lasso through social media.
“This was the raid on the house of El Gato, considered by the OFAC as one of the biggest drug traffickers in the world. He had links with the Sinaloa Cartel and the CJNG. He is one of the responsible for the recent massacres in Ecuadorian prisons,” wrote Lasso on that occasion.
Among the things that were found, the image of a white tiger could be seen near a sink and oven. The facilities were guarded by members of the Mobile Anti-Narcotics Special Group (GEMA).
There was also a pool that stood out, which was located near large windows. Similarly, there was an equipped kitchen near a room with a flat-screen TV. The president of Ecuador also shared images of the results of the raid, which included various bundles of money as well as a cell phone and communication equipment.
Another one of the objects found by the authorities was a passport from the Republic of Albania.
The influence of Mexican criminal groups in Ecuador has been documented on various occasions, specifically pointing to the Pacific Cartel and the CJNG as the organizations present in the country.
Thanks for reading!
Mica
Email: mica@cartelinsider.com
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