Arrest in Ecuador of suspect in murder of former mayoral candidate in Portoviejo
Ecuadorian police arrested Ruperto Martillo, linked to the Los Lobos gang, for the killing of José Miguel Mendoza in 2024.
Second most wanted man in Manabí arrested in Ecuador for killing former mayoral candidate
Ecuadorian police arrested Ruperto Martillo, identified as the second most wanted man in Manabí province, in connection with the murder of José Miguel Mendoza, former candidate for Mayor of Portoviejo. Infobae.com reported this on Monday, citing a police statement.
Mendoza, 41 years old and a member of the Nueva Gente movement, was intercepted on 2 July 2024 whilst in his vehicle. Armed men on a motorcycle shot him; the attack was recorded on security cameras in the area.
Martillo was facing a summons to stand trial for murder and an additional arrest warrant for the offence of receiving stolen goods. According to the authorities, he belongs to the criminal gang Los Lobos, classified as a "terrorist" organisation by both the United States and Argentina, and considered the most violent group in the country.
The arrest comes within the framework of the "internal armed conflict" declared by President Daniel Noboa in 2024 to intensify the fight against gangs involved in drug trafficking. That declaration has led to successive states of exception and night-time curfews; the one currently in effect in Manabí and three other provinces with high levels of violence extends until 30 September.
Emergency measures have failed to contain the spiral of violence: Ecuador closed 2025 with 9,283 homicides, a figure that places it among the most violent countries in Latin America.
Source: Google News EC — Crime