According to South American authorities, he would be the leader of a criminal group known as 'Los Lobos', dedicated to drug trafficking, extortion, and homicides. When asked to identify himself, he allegedly claimed to be a Colombian citizen named Juan Carlos Montero Mestre. This criminal organization emerged after the fragmentation of 'Los Choneros', led by Jorge Luis Zambrano. Ronald Johnson, the United States Ambassador to Mexico, 'boasted' about the detention of Ángel Esteban 'N', known as 'El Lobo Menor', one of the alleged masterminds behind the murder of Ecuador's former presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio. The diplomat stated that the arrest of the alleged criminal “underscores the importance of international cooperation” to combat drug cartels. He maintained that the governments of Donald Trump and Claudia Sheinbaum are sending a message to criminals: “they have nowhere to hide” internationally. “The detention of Ángel Esteban Aguilar, alias 'Lobo Menor', by Mexican authorities, linked to criminal activities in Ecuador and with ties to the CJNG, underscores the importance of international cooperation to face cartels, drug trafficking, and the violence they generate,” he wrote on his official X account on March 21, three days after the arrest. After being presented to the authorities, his extradition to Colombia to face justice was facilitated. 'El Lobo Menor' will be imprisoned in a maximum-security prison inspired by Bukele. Following the detention of Ángel Esteban 'N', Ecuador's Minister of the Interior, John Reinberg, confirmed that he will be held at the Cárcel del Encuentro, a maximum-security center inspired by the prison model of Nayib Bukele in El Salvador. According to Ecuadorian authorities, Aguilar Morales used false documents and was located after several months of surveillance in an operation coordinated by forces from Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico. The Cárcel del Encuentro houses several criminal gang leaders, including other members of 'Los Lobos' linked to the Villavicencio murder. Among them is Luis Arboleda, alias 'Gordo Luis', another leader of that organization implicated in the case.
'El Lobo Menor' Arrested in Connection with Ecuadorian Politician's Murder
Ángel Esteban Aguilar, known as 'El Lobo Menor', was arrested in Mexico. He is suspected of involvement in the murder of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The arrest was the result of international cooperation between Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico.
