Two Ecuadorian criminal organizations, Los Tiguerones and Los Choneros, have been named as participants in the trafficking of mercury into Colombia to supply illegal mining operations, according to an investigation by the Colombian newspaper El Colombiano based on intelligence sources.
The investigation came to light after the arrest, on August 26, of Eduardo Cecilio Vasquez Ortiz, known as "Colombia," identified as a member of Los Tiguerones. Colombia's Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol, known as the Dijin, detained him at a house in a residential complex in Armenia, in the department of Quindio.
Gangs Establish Footholds in Colombian Cities
Sources cited by El Colombiano said members of Los Tiguerones and Los Choneros have settled in Medellin, Rionegro, Cali and the Eje Cafetero, Colombia's coffee-growing region, to take part in drug and weapons trafficking and, more recently, the illegal mercury trade.
Los Choneros and Los Tiguerones are among the criminal structures that have expanded from Ecuador into neighboring countries in recent years, a shift Ecuadorian authorities have linked to the groups' growing role in regional drug trafficking networks.
Route Runs Through Bolivia and Peru
According to the investigation, the mercury is acquired in El Alto, Bolivia, and moved overland through Peru before entering Colombia through the border departments of Narino and Putumayo. In that border area, the Ecuadorian groups reportedly have agreements with the Comandos de la Frontera, a criminal structure linked to Geovany Andres Rojas, known as "Arana."
The mercury is intended for illegal mining operations that use the metal to separate gold from other materials, a process known as amalgamation. The shipments are reportedly destined for mining areas in Bajo Cauca and northeastern Antioquia, as well as southern Bolivar.
Sources cited in the report said the mercury enters the country hidden inside containers disguised as medical oxygen cylinders and fire extinguishers. The Ecuadorians reportedly negotiate the sale of the mercury afterward in Cali and Medellin, and in some cases exchange it for cocaine.
Suspect's Alleged Ties and a String of Killings
Vasquez reportedly arrived in Colombia four years ago on the orders of William Alcivar Bautista, known as "Negro Willy," identified as a leader of Los Tiguerones. He initially settled in Medellin, where he is said to have worked alongside Marlon Valencia Espinoza, known as "Fenix," another alleged member of the organization.
The rivalry between Los Tiguerones and Los Choneros has also been linked to several killings in Colombia. Among the cases mentioned are the deaths of Alexis Gaspar Valverde, known as "Minotas," in 2022; Junior Roldan Paredes, known as "Junior," in 2023; and Manuel Villamar Conforme, a cousin of Jose Macias Villamar, known as "Fito," in 2024. Los Choneros is one of Ecuador's best-known criminal organizations, previously led by Macias Villamar before his escape from an Ecuadorian prison last year.
Other alleged members of both groups are also under investigation for possible involvement in the mercury trade. They include Galo Javier Suarez Roman, known as "Gato Negro," detained in June 2026, and Rolando Federico Gomez Quinde, known as "Fede," arrested in Medellin in October 2025 and later deported to Ecuador.
Money Laundering Conviction in Ecuador
Among the alleged links to the Comandos de la Frontera is also the Ecuadorian Roberto Alvarez Vera, known as "Gerente." According to the investigation, he worked for that structure managing money laundering abroad, mainly in Ecuador, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.
In Ecuador, Alvarez Vera was sentenced on September 6 to thirteen years in prison for asset laundering, and five of his companies were sanctioned for their participation in the scheme.
Sources cited by the outlet said capital and companies linked to that structure remain unidentified in both Ecuador and Colombia. Some companies in the transport sector are being investigated for their possible use in moving mercury.
Other Trafficking Routes and a Major Seizure
The entry of new actors into the mercury trade coincides with other routes already used by Colombian criminal organizations. The Clan del Golfo, Colombia's largest criminal organization and a major cocaine trafficking network, reportedly receives mercury from Mexico, while dissident factions of the former FARC guerrilla reportedly receive shipments from China through the port of Buenaventura.
A shipment of 1.2 tons of mercury was seized by Colombia's tax and customs authority, the DIAN, on March 12 at the port of Cartagena. The material was distributed across 37 wooden boxes.
Smuggling Drives Down Mercury Prices
According to the investigation, the rise in smuggling has driven down the price of mercury on the illegal market, from about six million Colombian pesos per pound in 2024 to between 700,000 and 1.2 million Colombian pesos currently.
Colombia restricted mercury imports in 2018 and banned its use in mining and industrial activities starting in 2023. Despite those measures, the product continues to enter the country through smuggling routes.
According to the United States Environmental Investigation Agency, about 200 tons of mercury were trafficked across Latin America between April 2019 and June 2025. The metal is used in illegal gold mining to separate gold from other materials.
