Car Bomb Rocks Ecuador’s Capital as Criminal Gang Vents Over Leader’s Prison Transfer

A car bomb loaded with gas cylinders and dynamite caused a series of explosions near the headquarters of Ecuador’s prison service Wednesday night, reports said.

National Police Gen. Pablo Ramírez said six people, including five Ecuadorians and a Colombian, were arrested in connection with the bombing in the capital, Quito, Spanish news agency EFE reported. 

No injuries were reported.

The bombing was the latest public violence in Ecuador, where a presidential candidate, a political organizer, and a city mayor have all been assassinated in recent months. 

A source told EFE the incident was possibly linked to the transfer of a criminal ringleader known as  “Gordo Luis,” or Fat Luis, to La Roca, a maximum security prison located near the city of Guayaquil.

The gang leader was captured July 6 in Colombia and extradited to Ecuador, which described him as the leader of the Los Lobos gang, with links to the Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

On Aug. 10, Los Lobos claimed credit for the daylight assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who had campaigned against the nexus of politicians and criminal gangs. 

The car bomb exploded Wednesday near the headquarters of Ecuador’s prison service a few hours after police announced the results of a raid conducted on Wednesday in the prison in Latacunga, in the Andean province of Cotopaxi, EFE reported.

More than 2,200 police officers and soldiers took part in the raid, seizing knives, alcohol and electronic equipment.