Anti-Mafia Law in Ecuador: Up to 16 Years in Prison for Lending Property or Vehicle to Organised Crime
The National Assembly will debate on 27 August the Anti-Mafia Law, which imposes sentences of 10 to 16 years on those who provide logistics to criminal gangs.
National Assembly debates sentences of up to 16 years for collaborating with organised crime
The Plenary of Ecuador's National Assembly will address on Thursday, 27 August 2026 the first reading of the so-called Anti-Mafia Law, according to extra.ec. The initiative, promoted by the Executive, introduces substantial reforms to the Comprehensive Organic Penal Code (COIP) and aims to penalise those who, knowingly, provide logistical resources to criminal organisations.
The bill received a favourable opinion from the Commission on Sovereignty, Integration and Citizen Security with eight votes on Monday, 24 August, before being sent to the Plenary.
Sanctions for ceding property or vehicles
One of the central reforms is the incorporation of article 369.3 to the COIP. The rule establishes sentences of 10 to 13 years imprisonment for those who, with knowledge of unlawful activity, allocate, lease, lend or provide properties, warehouses, storehouses, workshops, farms, docks or vehicles adapted for criminal operations.
The sentence increases to a range of 13 to 16 years if the infrastructure or transport provided is used to collect or conceal weapons, narcotics or other materials linked to organised crime.
Criminal networks and recruitment
The bill also classifies functional membership in criminal networks through article 369.4 of the COIP: 10 to 13 years imprisonment for those who carry out transport work, custody of weapons or surveillance functions—known as "lookouts". Article 369.2, meanwhile, sets up to 16 years imprisonment for the recruitment of young people or persons in vulnerable situations.
Higher sentences for gang leaders
The proposal amends article 369 of the COIP to increase sentences against founders, financiers and directors of criminal organisations to a range of 22 to 26 years imprisonment. The maximum rises to between 26 and 30 years when the gang commits crimes of drug trafficking, terrorism, illegal mining, contract killing, kidnapping, human trafficking or money laundering.
Opposition observations
The bill's treatment is not without criticism. Citizen Revolution assemblyman Blasco Luna questioned article 266 on fuel theft and warned that "although sanctions must be applied to those who commit crimes, the reform should not become an instrument to persecute political opponents".
Source: Google News EC — Crime