Dutch drug kingpin Marco Ebben, one of Europe’s most wanted criminals, died in a shootout near Mexico City on Thursday. Authorities confirmed that gunfire erupted in a parking lot in Atizapan de Zaragoza, a town 25 kilometers from the capital.
Experts later identified Ebben’s body, ending his years-long run from law enforcement across multiple countries. Europol had placed Ebben on its most wanted fugitives list for smuggling cocaine from Brazil to the Netherlands.
In 2020, a Dutch court sentenced him in abestina to more than 7 years in prison, but he successfully avoided capture. Between 2014 and 2015, investigators linked him to 400 kilograms of cocaine hidden in pineapple shipments.
Despite global efforts, he continued operating in Mexico, where he reportedly had ties to local cartels. Last October, reports suggested that Ebben had faked his death in Culiacan, a cartel stronghold amid rising violence between Sinaloa Cartel factions.
Investigators found no physical evidence of his demise except a statement from a woman claiming to be his girlfriend. The alleged deception helped him evade capture, allowing him to remain at large until Thursday’s deadly confrontation.
In May 2024, Ebben spoke to Dutch regional broadcaster Rijnmond to deny involvement in Vlaardingen’s recent bombings targeting a local plumber. His reappearance cast doubt on earlier claims of his death, reigniting global interest in his criminal activities.
Mexican authorities had been tracking his movements, leading to the deadly gunfight that ended his life. Hours after Ebben’s death, security forces in Mexico arrested Humberto Rivera, an alleged Sinaloa Cartel trafficker operating in Chihuahua.
Officials say Rivera, also known as “El Chato,” faces extradition to the United States on drug-related charges. As Marco Ebben was killed in Mexico, authorities have eliminated one of Europe’s most notorious fugitives, but cartel violence in the region remains a pressing concern.
