The Government will deploy more maritime controls to try to stop drug trafficking and violent acts.
During an evaluation of the Security Block, the Minister of Defense, Giancarlo Loffredo, announced that maritime security operations will be intensified.
Minister of Defense, Gian Carlo Loffredo: ‘The country needs more soldiers for this new urban combat’
The official indicated that Manabí is a strategic area for drug trafficking, not only for passage, but also for storage.
“Little by little we are weakening organized crime and we are weakening its economy with drug seizures,” Loffredo said.
The Minister of the Interior, Mónica Palencia, indicated that Manabí is strengthening the response capacity in the maritime and territorial corridor. She pointed out that in recent days there have been no violent deaths in Manta and added that “only by making changes can we have better results.”
Palencia assured that other cities are not being abandoned by focusing efforts on cities with a high level of violent deaths.
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More soldiers and equipment have been moved to Manta to try to quickly reduce this scenario of violence.
The Government indicated that the problem is concentrated in 17 cantons, which represent 38 parishes; that is, 6% of the national territory.
César Zapata, Commander of the Police, said that at the national level there is a 17% reduction in violent deaths. This, according to Zapata, represents less than 532 violent deaths.
“We have managed to break the upward trend in violent deaths and we have a decrease of 17%,” said Zapata.
The officer mentioned that femicides have been reduced in the country and maintained that 50% of high-value targets have been captured. There are nine high-value detainees and 114 medium-value detainees, among whom there are gunmen.
As part of the actions of the Security Block, the following results were obtained these days:
- Five members of Los Choneros arrested for robbery and extortion.
- 126 arrested in operations deployed in seven provinces.
- Capture of two suspects in the murder of the mayor of Portovelo.
- Nearly two tons of drugs seized in the last few hours.
- Operations in prioritized areas of Manta.
- Arrival of more soldiers to Manta.
(YO)
