Ecuador plays important role in illegal maritime drug trade says analysis

Lucia Bird/insightcrime.org reported an estimated 300 Ecuadorian fishermen have been arrested on drug trafficking charges by foreign authorities in the last three years, highlighting the country’s role as a regional hub for maritime trafficking.

The Northern Operations Command of Ecuador’s Armed Forces estimate that at least 300 local fishermen are currently in custody in the United States, Guatemala, or Colombia on drug trafficking charges, reported El Comercio. The fishermen are reportedly from the coastal provinces of Manabi, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Santa Elena, and El Oro.

Local fishermen are lured into the illicit industry by members of drug trafficking groups known as “enganchadores.” El Comercio recounts one case of a fisherman who was offered $80,000 to transport a two-ton shipment of cocaine, with $8,000 in cash paid upon acceptance of the offer, and the remainder payable two weeks after completion of the transaction. The fisherman told El Comercio he turned down the offer. Read Article

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