Second most-wanted man in Manabí arrested in Portoviejo for political murder
Ecuadorian police have detained Ruperto Martillo, linked to the organised crime group Los Lobos, in connection with the murder of former mayoral candidate José Miguel Mendoza in 2024.
Ecuador arrests suspected murderer of former Portoviejo mayoral candidate
Ecuadorian police detained Ruperto Martillo on Monday, identified as the second most-wanted man in Manabí province, according to laprensa.hn. Martillo was facing trial for the murder of José Miguel Mendoza, a former candidate for mayor of Portoviejo municipality, capital of Manabí.
Mendoza, 41 years old and an activist with the Nueva Gente movement, was intercepted on 2 July 2024 whilst inside his vehicle. Armed men travelling on motorcycles opened fire on him. The attack was captured on security cameras in the area.
In addition to the murder investigation, Martillo faces an arrest warrant for the crime of receiving stolen goods. Authorities indicate he belonged to the criminal group Los Lobos, classified as a "terrorist" organisation by the United States and Argentina, and considered the most violent in the Andean country.
The arrest comes in the context of sustained escalating violence in Ecuador. Since 2024, President Daniel Noboa declared a state of "internal armed conflict" to intensify the fight against criminal gangs engaged primarily in drug trafficking. That declaration resulted in successive states of emergency and nocturnal curfews; one of them remains in effect until 30 September in four provinces with high levels of violence, including Manabí.
Despite these measures, Ecuador closed 2025 with a record 9,283 homicides, a figure placing it among the most violent countries in Latin America.
Source: Google News EC — Crime