Spanish court approves extradition of Ecuadorean tied to TV station attack

MADRID/GUAYAQUIL (Reuters) -Spain's High Court on Tuesday authorized the extradition of William Jofre Alcivar Bautista, accused of leading a violent attack on an Ecuadorean TV station in early 2024, provided that Ecuador guarantees his safety in custody.

Alcivar, known as Commander Willy and alleged head of the criminal group Los Tiguerones, was arrested in Spain alongside his brother Alex in October 2024.

Ecuadorean authorities accuse the pair of orchestrating car bombings, contract killings, extortion and a live on-air raid of TC Television's studio in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city - part of a wave of violence that led President Daniel Noboa to declare a war on gangs, which he branded as terrorist groups.

The court rejected arguments against Alcivar's extradition but insisted on additional assurances from Ecuador, due to concerns over violence in its prison system. His brother's extradition had been approved earlier under similar conditions.

The Ecuadorean government will not rest until all fugitives have been captured, Interior Minister John Reimberg told local radio in Guayaquil on Tuesday, adding that gang leaders are fleeing the country out of fear of arrest.

"They leave with the fear that we will get them, so we are working with different governments where we have some located, like what happened with Willy in Spain, and other similar cases," Reimberg said.

The raid on the TV station unfolded live for about 20 minutes, as 13 masked and heavily armed men stormed the studio, forcing staff to the floor. Police eventually rescued the hostages and the attackers surrendered.

(Reporting by Emma Pinedo in Madrid; Additional reporting by Yury Garcia in Guayaquil; Editing by Andrei Khalip, Franklin Paul and Mark Porter)