Ecuadorian authorities have arrested Pablo Adrián HT, known by the nickname "Caballo", suspected of being a financial operator of the Albanian mafia who was involved in the trafficking of large quantities of cocaine from Ecuadorian ports to Europe.
According to the Ecuadorian military, he had an outstanding arrest warrant for drug trafficking. He is also being investigated for money laundering and participation in a criminal organization.
“Caballo” was arrested during a military operation in La Maná, in the province of Cotopaxi. After his arrest, he was transferred to Quevedo, in the province of Los Ríos, where he was handed over to the authorities for judicial proceedings.
???? ATTENTION!!!
— Ejército Ecuatoriano (@EjercitoECU) August 23, 2026
???????? ??????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????? ???? ????????????????????? "???????????????????????????"vinculado a la mafia Albanian; este golpe afecta en la logistics y actividad financiera a la estructura criminal.
Seguimos firmes, protegiendo a la ciudadanía y… pic.twitter.com/Kaavd9kpsD
Security forces suspect that the arrested man had links to the Albanian mafia network in Ecuador, which according to authorities was led by Albanian Dritan Gjika. The latter was arrested last year in the United Arab Emirates and is expected to face extradition proceedings.
La Maná is located in a strategic position along the road corridor of central Ecuador, facilitating the movement of people, goods and logistical resources that, according to authorities, could be used by criminal organizations.
The area has been under a state of emergency declared by President Daniel Noboa for several months due to high levels of crime and violence.
The arrest of “Caballo” is not the first time this year that Ecuadorian authorities have detained people suspected of links to the Albanian mafia. In March, a court ordered the detention of 14 people arrested on suspicion of being part of a network that trafficked drugs to Europe via containers.