Ecuador court jails man for 22 years over 1.3 tonnes of marijuana
A court in Macará sentenced Eduardo V. to 22 years for large-scale drug trafficking after police found 1,299.65 kg of marijuana hidden in metal beams in a truck. Prosecutors said the load was bound for Peru and then Chile.
🇪🇨 Macará, Loja · Ecuador
- Charged
- 1
- Cannabis
- 1,299.7 kg
- Prison
- 22 years
A court in Macará, Loja province, sentenced Eduardo V. to 22 years in prison for large-scale drug trafficking after police found 1,299.65 kg of marijuana hidden in a truck, the prosecutor’s office said on 20 July 2026.[1][2]
The truck was stopped on the Panamericana in Macará on 9 November 2025.[1] Officers found 2,688 blocks of marijuana inside 40 metal beams, and the driver was arrested.[1][2] Prosecutors said the load was bound for Peru and then Chile.[1]
The court also heard evidence from the driver’s phone, including photographs of him holding the blocks.[1] Large-scale trafficking carries 22 to 26 years in prison under Ecuador’s criminal code.[1][2]
Photos and video
- The marijuana blocks found inside the metal beams Photos: Fiscalía General del Estado
- Evidence photographed after the truck was stopped in Macará Photos: Diario Crónica, archived copy
Sources
- Condenado por transportar casi 1,3 toneladas de marihuana en un camión. Fiscalía General del Estado, 20 July 2026. In Spanish.
- Condenado a 22 años de prisión por transportar casi 1,3 toneladas de marihuana. Diario Crónica, 21 July 2026. In Spanish. Archived copy.