Ángel Esteban Aguilar Morales, known as 'Lobo Menor,' was arrested in Mexico and transferred to Colombia, arriving in Bogotá on Wednesday. According to authorities and officials, Aguilar Morales is an Ecuadorian national wanted in both Colombia and Ecuador for the August 9, 2023 assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in Quito. Mexican officials said Ángel Esteban Aguilar Morales was detected upon entering Mexico, placed under real-time surveillance, and arrested without 'use of violence,' then placed in the custody of Mexico's National Migration Institute.
The specific circumstances of his transfer from Mexico to Colombia remain unclear, including whether he was formally extradited or deported. The Colombian migration agency stated Ángel Esteban Aguilar Morales was attempting to evade immigration controls using a false identity as a Colombian citizen. ' Ángel Esteban Aguilar Morales is one of the alleged ringleaders of the Ecuadorian criminal gang 'Los Lobos' and subject to an Interpol Red Notice.
Police indicated Ángel Esteban Aguilar Morales allegedly has ties to Mexican cartels and to Néstor Gregorio Vera, known as Iván Mordisco, leader of a FARC dissident faction. The details of these alleged connections have not been disclosed by authorities. In February, the Ecuadorian Attorney General's Office presented new evidence seeking to formally link three individuals, including Ángel Esteban Aguilar Morales, to the Villavicencio case, alleging they played a logistical and operational role in the killing.
The specific nature of this evidence has not been made public. Colombian President Gustavo Petro highlighted police cooperation between Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico in the wake of Aguilar Morales's arrest. The diplomatic context is further complicated by Mexico's relationship with Ecuador.
Mexico broke off diplomatic relations with Ecuador in April 2024 following a military raid on the Mexican Embassy in Quito targeting former Vice President Jorge Glas. How this diplomatic rift affected the arrest and transfer process remains unknown. Ángel Esteban Aguilar Morales's current immigration status in Mexico during his detention has also not been clarified by officials.