Ecuador Military Captures FARC Dissident Leader 'Camilo' and 10 Operatives in Dawn Border Raid

The same armed group responsible for one of Ecuador's most infamous crimes just lost another cell.

The Operation

At 6:00 AM on Monday, February 17, Ecuadorian Army units backed by military intelligence conducted a dawn raid on a clandestine base in the Juan Montalvo sector of Eloy Alfaro canton, Esmeraldas province — a remote area near the Colombian border.

Soldiers approached a wooden structure being used as an operational base. According to the military's report, the occupants opened fire on the approaching troops, who responded with "progressive use of force" before securing the site and detaining all suspects.

11 people were captured:

• Kevin Daniel R.C., alias 'Camilo' — a Colombian national identified as the cell leader
• 10 Ecuadorian nationals operating as local members of the network

One Ecuadorian detainee was injured during the operation and required hospitalization.

What Was Seized

The military confiscated a significant weapons cache:

| Item | Details | |------|--------| | AR-15 rifle | 5.56mm caliber | | Traumatic pistol | 1 unit | | Artisanal shotguns | 3 units | | Combat vests | 12 guerrilla-style | | Ammunition | 51 rounds (5.56mm), 27 rounds (9mm), 2 rounds (12-gauge) |

Who Is the Oliver Sinisterra Front?

The Frente Oliver Sinisterra is a FARC dissident faction that rejected the 2016 peace accord between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas. The group operates along the Colombia-Ecuador border, primarily in Colombia's Nariño department and Ecuador's Esmeraldas province.

The group is most notorious in Ecuador for the 2018 kidnapping and murder of three members of El Comercio newspaper's reporting team — journalist Javier Ortega, photographer Paúl Rivas, and driver Efraín Segarra — who were seized while investigating the border security situation. Their murders shocked Ecuador and exposed the extent of Colombian armed group penetration into Ecuadorian territory.

The Ecuadorian government designated the Oliver Sinisterra Front as an "organized armed group" and has conducted periodic operations against its cells since 2018.

What the Cell Was Doing

According to military intelligence, the captured cell was involved in:

• Extortion ("vacunas") — collecting protection payments from local businesses and communities
• Arms trafficking — moving weapons across the border
• Illegal mining protection — providing armed security for unauthorized mining operations
• Intimidation and drive-by shootings — terrorizing communities in zones including Zapallo Grande, Zapallito, Telembí, Cabuyal, and Playa de Oro

The military stated that follow-up operations are continuing in Esmeraldas to identify additional collaborators and supply networks.

The Bigger Border Picture

This capture comes during an exceptionally tense period in Ecuador-Colombia relations:

• Ecuador imposed a 30% tariff on Colombian goods on February 1, citing Colombia's alleged failure to cooperate on border security
• Colombia responded by suspending electricity sales to Ecuador and filing two lawsuits at the Andean Community (CAN)
• Despite the diplomatic friction, military coordination on the border appears to be continuing — suggesting security cooperation operates on a separate track from the political disputes

Esmeraldas province remains one of Ecuador's most dangerous regions, with active armed groups, illegal mining operations, and drug trafficking routes connecting to Colombia's Pacific coast.

What This Means for Expats

• Esmeraldas remains off-limits for most expats. The province — particularly the northern border zone — continues to see active armed group operations. This is not a tourist destination right now
• The Oliver Sinisterra Front's reach is a reminder of border realities. The same group that murdered journalists in 2018 is still operating, still armed, and still recruiting Ecuadorian members
• Extortion networks affect the broader economy. The "vacuna" system operated by these groups drives up costs for businesses and transportation in affected regions, which can ripple into prices elsewhere
• Military operations are producing results. The capture of a cell leader and 10 operatives with a weapons cache is a meaningful disruption. Ecuador's military has been increasingly effective in border operations since the 2024 internal armed conflict declaration
• Emergency contacts: ECU 911 (all emergencies), National Police 101

Sources: Infobae, La República (Peru), Semana (Colombia), El Universo