Jalisco Cartel Attacks in Ecuador Prompted U.S. Embassy to Issue Security Alert for Guayaquil and Esmeraldas

The U.S. Embassy in Ecuador on Tuesday issued a security alert for American citizens traveling to Guayaquil and Esmeraldas cities due to attacks presumed to have been carried out by gangs linked to the Jalisco cartel.

In a statement released by the U.S. Embassy, the agency said U.S. citizens should exercise extreme caution and maintain increased vigilance in these cities because of the series of violent crimes.

The embassy also urged Americans in these areas to avoid large gatherings and limit their travel to daylight hours. The agency also advised U.S. citizens to be aware of their surroundings and monitor the local media for updates.

2 Gangs Responsible for Attacks in Ecuador Link to Mexico's Jalisco Cartel

During the night of October 31 and the early morning of November 1, Infobae reported that at least 13 attacks, including nine explosions, were reported in Guayaquil and Esmeraldas that were carried out by Los Lobos and Los Tiguerones gangs.

According to CBS News, both gangs reportedly work with Mexico's Jalisco cartel. The attacks against police and oil installations were in response to a transfer of inmates from Guayas 1 prison in Guayaquil in Guayas province.

Prison officials said shots were also fired inside the facility. "We have had reactions" of "organized crime" in Guayaquil, and the northwestern oil port of Esmeraldas, said Interior Minister Juan Zapata. These reportedly included car bomb attacks and an explosion at a bus terminal.

Reports said at least five police officers were killed, prompting President Guillermo Lasso to declare a state of emergency in Guayas and Esmeraldas provinces.

Authorities said two police officers died when armed individuals attacked their patrol car in Guayaquil in the early morning hours. Three more cops were gunned down in the port and the nearby city of Duran later in the day. Two officers were also injured in a separate attack on a police station.

In Esmeraldas, three explosions were reported, and seven prison officers were held hostage by inmates in protest of prisoner transfers. Authorities said the officers were released after negotiations.

So far, the prisons agency SNAI said 515 prisoners had been transferred from Guayaquil's Guayas 1 prison to others around the country. The transfers aim to reduce overcrowding.

The security situation in Ecuador has been at its worst in the past 10 years. The government has recently taken steps to improve law and order due to prison violence and the presence of Mexican drug cartels.

According to Rise To Peace, the South American nation's unrest and violence indicate that crime in Ecuador is worsening.

Ecuadorian authorities said there was evidence that the Sinaloa Cartel has been operating in Ecuador since 2009, followed by the Jalisco cartel, which has also infiltrated the country.

In the past years, authorities in Ecuador had already seized drug shipments allegedly belonging to these illegal Mexican drug cartels.

Jalisco Cartel of Mexico

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) of Mexico is reportedly operating in other countries.

U.S. officials said the cartel controls the movement of more than a third of all drugs consumed in the U.S. and has expanded into Central and South America, Europe, and Asia.

The Jalisco cartel had risen to power after former Sinaloa Cartel capo Ignacio Coronel, known as "Nacho," was killed in July 2010 by Mexican security forces.

Nacho's death resulted in the split of the Sinaloa Cartel into two factions, the "La Resistencia" and "Torcidos." The "Torcidos" became what is now the Jalisco cartel, which has since expanded rapidly.

Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, who currently heads the Jalisco cartel, continues to evade capture. The U.S. government has already offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest. However, he remains to be the most elusive criminal, and he is reportedly hiding in Mexico.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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