Ecuador dismantles CJNG-linked network in Guayas, El Oro, Los Ríos

Ecuadorian authorities dismantled a structure linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in three provinces on September 24. InSight Crime research traces CJNG connections to the Los Lobos group since 2021, when it emerged as an independent organization. The operation signals expanding transnational cartel influence in Ecuador's coastal regions.