Ecuador has announced that authorities in the United Arab Emirates have arrested a suspected guerrilla leader believed to be involved in criminal and insurgent activity in the South American country.

The individual, whose identity has not yet been publicly disclosed, is allegedly linked to violent armed groups operating in Ecuador and had been the subject of an international search.

The arrest is seen as a significant development in Ecuador’s efforts to dismantle transnational criminal networks and was reportedly coordinated through diplomatic and law enforcement channels between the two nations.