On the ground with the gangs, generals and families caught in Ecuador’s drug war

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He says he was 18 years old when he first joined a gang in Ecuador a decade ago. Now a senior commander with a wife and kids, the man almost casually acknowledges he’s contributing to the deadly drug trade plaguing the country.

“Yes, I’m part of the problem,” he tells CNN’s David Culver, agreeing to talk, but only after dark, away from crowds and with his face disguised.

“They gave me everything,” he says of the gang, insisting he joined them out of desperation. Ten years on, he says he won’t quit “because it’s a huge economy and no one wants to let go of good business.” Related vertical video CNN

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