Ecuador: Suspected whisky adulteration center discovered during operation against organized crime

Those detained after the operation. (National Police)Ecuador's National Police discovered an alleged bottling point for adulterated liquor in Guayaquil, the country's most populous city, during a simultaneous operation against criminal structures that left 22 people detained. In one of the raided properties, officers found dozens of bottles and boxes of a well-known whisky brand, along with apparently forged stamps from state agencies that would have been used to give an appearance of legality to beverages intended for clandestine sale. The discovery took place between the night of Thursday the 15th and the early hours of Friday the 16th of October 2026, during Operation Apolo 35, carried out in various sectors of Guayaquil and the neighboring city of Durán, two of the main scenarios of the criminal violence affecting Ecuador. According to information from Ecuavisa, officers entered a property located in El Cisne, a sector in southwestern Guayaquil belonging to the Portete police district. There they found containers, boxes, and insignia that appeared to correspond to the Internal Revenue Service (SRI) and the National Customs Service of Ecuador (Senae), institutions responsible for various tax and customs control mechanisms. Initial investigations suggest these materials would have been used to introduce adulterated alcoholic beverages into bottles identified with a recognized commercial brand. Four people were detained during the procedure and transferred, along with the evidence, to the Cuartel Modelo in Guayaquil for the corresponding proceedings.28/12/2025 The commander of the Manabí Police, Wladimir Acurio, gives explanations to Ecuador's Minister of the Interior, John Reimberg SOCIETY SOUTH AMERICA ECUADOR LATIN AMERICA SOUTH AMERICA INTERNATIONAL JOHN REIMBERG ON X So far, the authorities have not publicly reported the exact number of containers found, the origin of the beverages, or the establishments where they would eventually be distributed. Nor have the results of chemical analyses been released that would allow determining their composition or confirming the presence of toxic substances. According to information published by Primicias, Colonel Juan Carlos Soria, acting commander of Police Zone 8, explained that the raids were supported by intelligence work and information provided by citizens through reporting mechanisms that include QR codes. The deployment covered the districts of Nueva Prosperina, 9 de Octubre, Esteros, Sur, and Portete, as well as sectors of Durán. In total, 17 men and five women were detained. The Police also reported the isolation of an adolescent and the identification of two foreign citizens whose immigration status would be reviewed by the competent authorities. According to reports from Vistazo and Extra, during the raids seven firearms were seized, some of them long-range, and five vehicles were recovered. Twenty-two motorcycles with theft alerts were also impounded, and controlled substances were found. Ecuavisa, for its part, reported nine firearms seized, a discrepancy that remains pending clarification through a consolidated police report. Members of the Ecuadorian Police and Army stand guard during an operation this Monday, in Guayaquil (Ecuador). EFE/ Gerardo Menoscal Among the notable procedures was the detention of a person allegedly linked to a murder committed in the style of a hitman in the Florida district. Investigators located a property where they found motorcycles and helmets that could be linked to that crime. In the Esteros district, four other suspects were detained during an alleged assault on a delivery vehicle. Officers recovered cell phones belonging to the victims and cash. The Police also identified video surveillance cameras installed in certain properties that, according to preliminary investigations, would have been used to warn about the movements of police and military personnel. Soria noted that the operations were carried out in territories where the authorities have identified activities of criminal organizations such as Los Lobos, Los Lagartos, and Las Águilas. However, no link has been publicly established between those structures and the people detained for the discovery of the whisky bottles. Los Lobos and Los Tiguerones are cells apparently sponsored by the CJNG in Ecuador. (Photo: Twitter/@aisdmx)The Apolo operations began to be carried out in January 2025 as part of police interventions focused on sectors of Guayaquil and Durán. The strategy includes raids, investigations, and deployments of specialized units to identify suspects, recover goods, and seize materials related to illicit activities. The El Cisne case remains under investigation. The authorities will have to determine whether the containers and stamps found were part of a beverage adulteration operation, establish their possible commercial destination, and clarify the individual responsibility of the four people detained.