Peru Raids 13 Sites Over Ecuador-Linked Mining Gang

PERU · SECURITY

Peruvian police and prosecutors have moved against a group tied to Ecuador and suspected of smuggling illegally mined gold.

Peru’s National Police carried out 13 raids in six regions against Los Lobos II, a group suspected of illegal gold mining. Police describe it as a transnational criminal organisation from Ecuador, and prosecutors suspect it moves Peruvian gold across the border.

The case matters beyond Peru because Ecuador’s Los Lobos gang is on the US list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Any proven tie would expose gold buyers, banks and refiners that handle the metal to US terrorism-financing law.

What Happened in the Los Lobos II Raids

Andina, Peru’s state news agency, said on Tuesday, 6 October, that police searched 13 properties across six regions. They included sites in Lima, its port city of Callao, Trujillo, Piura, Lambayeque and the Amazon region of Amazonas.

The operation led to the preliminary detention of five suspected members, according to the police account carried by Andina. Officers seized a 9 mm pistol, a revolver without a serial number, five magazines and 120 rounds of rifle ammunition.

They also found S/ 70,000 (about US$20,400) in cash. Conversions use the rate of 3.435 soles per US dollar published by Peru’s Central Reserve Bank for Monday, 5 October.

Panamericana Televisión, a Lima broadcaster, reported eight detentions, citing prosecutor Frank Almanza. Almanza coordinates Peru’s specialised environmental prosecutors, part of the Public Ministry, the country’s independent prosecution service.

He said prosecutors will analyse seized documents to identify possible leaders and financiers of the organisation. The broadcaster said one of those detained is a member of the armed forces.

Prosecutors are investigating organised crime, illegal mining, illegal possession of weapons and trafficking in mining chemicals and machinery. Nobody has been convicted, and those detained are presumed innocent.

Why Gold Draws Gangs Across the Border

Mining earned Peru US$42.7 billion in exports in the first half of 2026, up 55% on a year earlier. That figure comes from the Ministry of Energy and Mines, which said mining made up 75.6% of national exports.

Gold exports rose 62% in value over the same period, which the ministry credited to high international prices. Those prices also raise the reward for illegal digging, which pays no tax.

Prosecutors are examining whether gold mined illegally in Peru was moved to Ecuador to be laundered, Panamericana reported. Laundering here means mixing illegal gold into legal trade so it can be sold abroad as clean metal.

Two of the regions searched, Piura and Amazonas, border Ecuador, which has run its own raids on illegal gold mining networks. That frontier runs from the dry Pacific coast into the mountains and rainforest of the Amazon basin.

The Ecuador Connection and the US Terror List

Ecuador’s Los Lobos is a criminal group that US notices also list as the Los Lobos Drug Trafficking Organization. The US designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization in a notice published in the Federal Register on Friday, 5 September 2025.

A parallel notice the same day listed Los Lobos as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. That status lets US authorities block any of its property under US jurisdiction.

Andina describes Los Lobos II as coming from Ecuador, but does not call it a branch of the designated gang. Neither Andina nor Panamericana reported evidence that it takes orders from Ecuadorian leaders.

That distinction matters, because US terrorism rules attach to the designated organisation and its listed aliases. They do not automatically cover a group with a similar name.

What It Means for You

For US investors and companies, the case is a reminder that Andean gold supply chains carry legal risk. Under US law, knowingly providing material support to a designated terrorist organisation is a federal crime.

US dealers in precious metals must also run anti-money-laundering programmes under the Bank Secrecy Act. In 2019, federal prosecutors in Miami noted that refiner Elemetal, trading as NTR Metals, had pleaded guilty to failing that duty.

For travellers, the raids were targeted police actions in cities such as Trujillo and Chiclayo, gateways to northern Peru’s archaeological sites. Visitors should follow the State Department’s current advisory for Peru.

What Is Not Known

It is not known whether Los Lobos II is part of, or answers to, the US-designated Ecuadorian gang. The exact number of people held is also unclear, with the police account citing five and Panamericana eight.

Officials have not said how much gold the group allegedly moved, where it was sold or who bought it. There is no public indication that any of it reached US refiners or buyers.

What Comes Next

Prosecutors must now decide whether to ask a judge for longer pre-trial detention for those held. The documents seized will be analysed for the money trail, including any transfers of gold to Ecuador.

The raids do not mean Washington has linked this Peruvian group to the designated organisation. They also do not mean any charge has been proven in court.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Los Lobos II?

Peruvian police describe it as a transnational criminal organisation from Ecuador, investigated for illegal gold mining and related crimes. Its formal ties to Ecuador’s Los Lobos gang have not been publicly established.

Is Los Lobos a terrorist organisation under US law?

Yes, Ecuador’s Los Lobos was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization in a notice published on 5 September 2025. Knowingly giving it material support is a federal crime in the United States.

Why is illegal gold mining a problem in Peru?

High gold prices make illegal mining very profitable, and it often comes with extortion, violence and mercury pollution. Mining overall supplies about three quarters of Peru’s exports, so the stakes are national.

Does this affect gold bought in the United States?

There is no public evidence that gold from this case reached US buyers. It does add pressure on refiners and dealers to check where South American gold comes from.

Sources: Andina, police operations of 6 October; Panamericana Televisión; Federal Register, FTO designation; Federal Register, SDGT designation; Andina, Ministry of Energy and Mines export data; US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida; Central Reserve Bank of Peru, exchange rate (all accessed 7 October 2026).