Ecuador Intercepts Six Tons Of Cocaine Meant To Be Sent To Mexico

Mica for cartelinsider.com

Authorities in Ecuador managed to intercept a shipment of over six tons of cocaine destined for Mexico, declared the National Police on Monday morning.

Police officers identified the drugs after inspecting a container found at a port located in Guayaquil, one of the most populated cities in Ecuador, as indicated in a social media post.

In total, 60 million doses of drugs were seized, which were “hidden in high-density polyethylene,” detailed the Ecuadorian Police. During these actions, two men were arrested whose identities were not disclosed, so their ages and places of origin are unknown.

In the video shared by authorities, it can be seen that the cocaine was wrapped in brick-like packages, which were identified by the imprints on the surface. However, due to the low quality of the graphic material, the seals on the drugs cannot be clearly seen.

Regarding the criminal group that would be behind this massive shipment of cocaine, no further information was provided. As a result, it is also unknown which criminal organization in Mexico would receive the drugs.

These tasks add up to the operations carried out on Sunday, February 18th, when the Ecuadorian Police seized one and a half tons of cocaine hydrochloride that also had as its final destination the Mexican territory.

The above was the result of a pursuit of a speedboat carrying 33 packages with 1,259 packages of illicit substances, 100 nautical miles northeast of the city of Manta. In total, more than 14 million doses were seized, with an estimated value of USD 40 million, according to estimates by the EFE agency.

It is presumed that the drug was going to be sent to Mexico through the Pacific route. However, no individuals were reported detained.

Along with these seizures, the National Police of Ecuador seized 40 bundles of a “controlled substance” that, like the previous cases, would be sent to Mexico’s coasts through the Pacific maritime corridor.

While it was not mentioned what type of substance was secured, it was indicated that it was hidden in jute sacks. Additionally, two individuals, Isidro S. and Santos Z., were arrested aboard the vessel.

These actions were part of Operation Mezcal, and agents from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) participated in them.

In Mexico, two criminal organizations have established connections with criminal groups from Ecuador. These are the Sinaloa Cartel, which is linked to Los Choneros, and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which is linked to Los Lobos. However, the involvement of these groups in these events has not been proven.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the ports of Manzanillo (in Colima) and Lázaro Cárdenas (in Michoacán) are the main points in Mexico where drugs from South America are received.

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Mica

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