Why is Tiguerones’ boss ‘Willy’ living free in Spain?

By Abby Pender

William Joffre Alcívar Bautista, alias “Willy,” the alleged leader of the Tiguerones, one of the most powerful gangs in Ecuador and a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), is living free in Spain, despite still being pursued by Ecuadorian authorities.

William Joffre Alcívar Bautista, alias “Willy”

Willy drew international attention after his gang took over a live broadcast of a television station in Guayaquil on January 9, 2024. That same day, Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa declared an internal conflict against more than 20 gangs, designating them terrorist organizations, including the Tiguerones.

Noboa’s government alleged that Willy masterminded the on-air takeover of TC Television while he was abroad and solicited an international arrest warrant for him on terrorism charges. Ecuador also alleged his involvement in car bombings, contract killings, and extortion.

Willy was eventually arrested by Spanish police in Catalonia on October 22, 2024. Ecuador made two requests for his extradition, which Spain accepted on the condition that Ecuador provide human rights and safety guarantees. But those didn’t arrive in time, and Spanish authorities released Willy in December 2025.

In March 2026 Willy gave an interview to El Mundo denying his involvement in the television news attack in Ecuador. He told the magazine his life now revolves around a used car business operating from Colombia, and he has hopes of opening a chain of barber shops in Spain.

Willy started his criminal trajectory as a prison guard, eventually founding the Tiguerones. Under his leadership, the group came to dominate extortion and drug trafficking in Esmeraldas and parts of Guayaquil. Initially beginning as a faction of the Choneros, the Tiguerones went independent following internal leadership tensions. They joined a coalition of former Choneros factions known as Nueva Generación (New Generation) and began running drugs for Mexico’s powerful Jalisco Cartel New Generation (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación – CJNG).

The group has fractured in Guayaquil and now competes with other Ecuadorian gangs, like the Lobos, for strategic control in northwestern Ecuador.

Ecuador’s government continues to pursue Willy’s extradition.
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Credit: InSight Crime