On the bustling streets of Ibarra, a city in Ecuador’s northern Imbabura province, an ordinary truck rolled through on the morning of November 29, 2025. But what police discovered inside that vehicle would quickly reveal itself as anything but ordinary. Hidden among the cargo were 749 sticks of dynamite—explosives of high destructive power, smuggled in from Peru and bound, ultimately, for Colombia. The operation, a result of months of careful investigation by Ecuador’s National Unit against Organized Crime (ULCO), exposed a sophisticated transnational trafficking network and underscored the region’s escalating struggle against organized crime.
According to the Ecuadorian Minister of the Interior, John Reimberg, the explosives were “part of an illicit international trafficking scheme of arms, ammunition, and unauthorized explosives.” As reported by the police and cited by Primicias, the dynamite was clandestinely brought into Ecuador from Peru. From there, it was to travel the length of the country, crossing into the border province of Carchi, and finally making its way into Colombia. The intended recipients? Irregular armed groups operating in Colombia, with the explosives likely earmarked for terrorist activities.
The driver of the truck, identified as Wilson C., was apprehended at the scene. The police seized not only the 749 sticks of dynamite, but also the truck itself and a mobile phone believed to be connected to the operation. The apprehended individual was swiftly handed over to judicial authorities for due process, as confirmed by the Ministry of the Interior. “The manner in which these explosives were acquired fits within a scheme of international illicit trafficking of unauthorized arms, ammunition, and explosives,” Reimberg stated on his official X account, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
The explosives themselves were identified as emulsion explosives, a type of material notorious for being unstable and highly dangerous. Police officials highlighted the critical risk posed by such substances, especially when handled outside of strict technical and legal protocols. The explosives were camouflaged within the truck’s cargo, a method that, according to police sources, is increasingly being used by criminal organizations to evade detection.
Authorities believe that the operation was not an isolated incident, but part of a broader, well-organized network dedicated to the trafficking of war material. As El Comercio reported, the National Police’s months-long investigation had mapped out the transnational route: the explosives entered Ecuador from Peru, traveled north through the country, and were staged in Carchi before being smuggled across the Colombian border. There, irregular armed groups—already notorious for their involvement in narcotrafficking, extortion, kidnappings, and illegal mining—would use the dynamite for criminal and terrorist purposes.
The timing of the bust is significant. Ecuador has been living under a state of heightened alert since 2024, when President Daniel Noboa declared an internal armed conflict. This drastic measure was aimed at intensifying the government’s campaign against powerful criminal gangs, whose activities have contributed to a dramatic surge in violence across the Andean nation. These groups, once primarily focused on narcotrafficking, have diversified their operations in recent years, expanding into extortion, kidnapping, illegal mining, and—crucially—arms and explosives trafficking.
Minister Reimberg did not mince words about the implications. “Finally [the explosives go] to Colombian territory, where they would be used by irregular armed groups in the execution of terrorist actions,” he wrote, making clear the cross-border dangers posed by such trafficking. The police’s coordinated operation in Ibarra, involving preventive, investigative, and intelligence units, was hailed as an example of the kind of interagency collaboration needed to confront these increasingly sophisticated criminal enterprises.
For the residents of Ibarra and the wider Imbabura province, the incident was a stark reminder of the region’s strategic importance—and vulnerability. The province, which had recently experienced a month-long blockade due to protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), sits along a major trafficking corridor between Peru and Colombia. The police’s success in intercepting the explosives, therefore, was not just a victory for law enforcement, but also a critical step in safeguarding the community from the threat of violent crime.
Photographs released by the National Police showed the seized dynamite—749 sticks in all—laid out for documentation. The sheer quantity and destructive potential of the material sent shockwaves through the local and national press. According to Primicias, the explosives were hidden with such care that only a meticulous search of the truck, informed by intelligence work, revealed their presence.
The investigation is far from over. Police officials have made clear that they are continuing to probe the full extent of the trafficking network, seeking to identify additional suspects and uncover the complete route and logistics of the operation. The phone seized from Wilson C. could provide crucial leads, potentially unraveling connections to other members of the trafficking organization and their counterparts across the border in Colombia.
This case also highlights the growing role of Ecuador as a transit country in the regional arms and explosives trade. As criminal organizations adapt and expand their activities, authorities face mounting pressure to keep pace. The smuggling of explosives, in particular, presents unique challenges: not only does it require sophisticated concealment and transport methods, but it also poses grave risks to public safety if intercepted or mishandled.
For Ecuadorian officials, the incident in Ibarra is both a warning and a call to action. The government’s declaration of internal armed conflict in 2024 signaled a new era in the fight against organized crime, but the events of November 2025 make clear that the battle is far from won. With criminal groups leveraging international routes and diversifying their illicit portfolios, law enforcement agencies must remain vigilant and adaptive.
As the investigation continues, Ecuador’s police and security forces are working to ensure that the seized explosives do not represent just a temporary setback for traffickers, but a turning point in the ongoing struggle against the region’s most dangerous criminal networks. For now, the streets of Ibarra are a little safer, but the shadow of transnational crime still looms large over the Andean corridor.
