A “school of assassins” linked to drug trafficking

Ecuadortimes:

Prosecutor César Peña maintains that the micro-traffickers train “gunmen” to solve their conflicts. Expert admits the existence of these murderers. “Because of the experience I have had in this unit and in my six years as a prosecutor, I have evidenced that as they arrest the assassins or murderers, the next day the leaders of these bands return to train young people, between 15 and 17 years old, so that participate in this type of crime, “reveals the prosecutor of the Unit of Guarantees and People of Guayas, César Peña Morán.

According to the authority, one of these micro-trafficking networks and murderers operating in Guayaquil is led by the brothers Carlos, Ricardo and Geovanny M. C., the last of the named is nicknamed “El Gorras”, a nickname that was adopted by the narco-band.

The prosecutor adds that two of the brother leaders of the illicit organization are free and one is in prison in the Regional prison of Guayaquil. “They, Carlos and Ricardo, were sentenced for the crime of organized crime, but they appealed the judicial decision and the Specialized Criminal Chamber, in October of 2017, confirmed the sentence, but modified the crime to illicit association,” he says.

However, “the judges imposed the minimum penalty and then suspended the sentence and are currently at liberty,” says prosecutor Peña. Faced with this judicial situation, the official applauds the decision of the National Directorate of Crimes against Life, Violent Deaths, Disappearances, Extortion and Kidnapping (Dinased) to end the bands of paid killers, many of them are identified and have ballots of capture.

“The goal is to clean the city.” The band “Los Gorras” The authority recalls that the band “Los Gorras” was born in the South Guasmo of Guayaquil, in the area that was dominated by the brothers William, Walter and Kléver Poveda Salazar known as “Cuban”, “Cayman “And” Shrapnel”.

The last two have already died and the first was released recently. This band was attributed at the time the murders of Soledad Rodríguez and Eddy Enríquez, directors of the Penitenciaría del Litoral, facts for which they were sentenced.

Police records show that the “Los Gorras” assassins, including alias “Memo” and “Mac Giver”, both prisoners, use 9-millimeter pistols, 38-caliber revolvers and sub-machine guns. “If a drug trafficker invades their territories, the next day we will know that something will happen to them,” says Peña.

Major Francisco Hernandez, head of the Dinased of Zone 8, in the analysis of the latest violent deaths in Guayaquil did not want to relate them to a specific criminal gang like “Los Gorras”, supposed murderers’ trainers.

Recognizes that there is evidence linking the organized bands of narco and micro-trafficking in murders. “We observe and there are cases (murders) that have occurred because of the struggle to conserve territories (sale of drugs).” Given this reality, Hernandez accepts the participation of people who are dedicated to kill others in exchange for economic rewards and whose ages fluctuate between 18 and 25 years.

Complicated investigations

For the Prosecutor of Guarantees and Persons of the Prosecutor’s Office of Pichincha, Veronica Murgueitio, it is not easy to determine if a violent death is the result of contract killings. “People can report a death by hired killers, for example, but investigations will determine the type of crime.”

The prosecutor believes that it is very complicated to reach a sentence for hired killers, because there is difficulty in proving that someone ordered the killing of another person. “Generally this type of negotiations is done by means that leave no trace (facts or evidence)”.

Two types of assassinations

The security expert and professor Fernando Carrión, goes further and argues that in Ecuador there are two types of assassinations: the professional and the social (adjustment of accounts).

He explains that the first modality is linked to criminal gangs linked with drug cartels. While the second derives from “minor” conflicts, such as problems of land, couple, robberies, scams, etc.

From the “illegal markets”, such as drug trafficking, smuggling, irregular migration, the assassination appears as a way that guarantees that the illicit act is committed, he believes. There is also a geography of hired killers and murder in the country.

According to Carrión, the killings are committed more on the northern border and the provinces that border the Pacific, linked to the transportation of narcotics to Central America and the United States.

Carrión identifies judges, police, prosecutors, military and members of criminal gangs as the main victims. “The assassin is interested in leaving a warning message that reaches the authorities so they know what may happen to them.” He argues that the State must develop national security policies aimed at citizen prevention. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/judicial/12/escuela-sicarios-vinculan-narcotrafico