The US has requested the extradition of a notorious Ecuadorian drug lord after his arrest in Malaga, where he had been living under a false identity after faking his own death.
Wilmer Geovanny Chavarria, aka ‘Pipo’, was linked to an operation to move at least five kilos of cocaine into the United States, claims the country’s Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
The request, submitted to Spain’s Audiencia Nacional, follows an indictment issued on February 4 by a grand jury in California.
Fake death and life on the Costa del Sol
Chavarria, believed to be the top figure behind Ecuador’s powerful Los Lobos cartel, was arrested in November 2025 after years on the run.
According to investigators, he entered Spain in 2022 from Colombia using fake documents, having staged his own death back home.
He is also thought to have undergone cosmetic surgery to alter his appearance while hiding out on the Costa del Sol.
Since his arrest, he has been held at Zuera prison, awaiting decisions on multiple extradition requests.
Legal battle across continents
Ecuador had already requested his extradition, and the new US demand further complicates an already high-stakes legal battle.
During a court appearance in Zaragoza earlier this year, Chavarria made explosive – and unproven – claims, accusing Ecuador’s president Daniel Noboa of links to drug trafficking and involvement in the 2023 assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
Defence challenges evidence
His legal team has pushed back strongly against the US request, arguing that the evidence presented lacks key details – such as wiretaps, witness testimony, or financial records directly tying him to the crime.
They also question the jurisdiction of the case, claiming the alleged crimes did not take place on US soil.
The defence has gone further, suggesting the extradition request could be part of a coordinated effort between the US and Ecuador to secure his transfer, particularly if Spanish courts are reluctant to send him back to Ecuador over concerns about prison conditions and safety.
Decision pending
Spain’s National Court will now have to weigh both extradition requests and decide where Chavarria will ultimately be sent.
For now, ‘Pipo’ remains behind bars in Spain, at the centre of a complex case that blends organised crime, international law, and political controversy.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
