He had been presumed dead for some time now.
The case has caused surprise since in September 2024 it was reported that Ebben had been killed in Culiacán, Sinaloa, during a confrontation in support of La Mayiza, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. However, new investigations have confirmed that at that time he managed to escape and take refuge in the State of Mexico.
His criminal record: from Europe to Mexico
Marco Ebben was not an isolated criminal. His father Henk Ebben was a well-known drug dealer in the Netherlands involved in the smuggling of hashish and methamphetamines. They both headed the Rainforest organisation, which specialised in transporting drugs to England.
In 2020, Europol sentenced him to seven years and four months in prison for drug trafficking; he was accused of bringing 400 kilograms of cocaine into the Netherlands between 2014 and 2015, hiding the drugs in shipments of pineapples from Brazil.
However, he managed to escape and became one of the most wanted fugitives in Europe. Over the following years he moved between Spain, Dubai, Italy and Turkey. After being wounded in an attack in June 2024, he obtained a Russian passport and fled to Mexico, where he was identified by photographs alongside La Mayiza hitmen.
His role within the Sinaloa Cartel
More than just a common drug trafficker, Marco Ebben operated as a key intermediary in the logistics and finances of the Sinaloa Cartel. His command of six languages ??allowed him to become a direct link for “El Mayo” Zambada for drug trafficking in Europe and Asia.
Ebben played a key role in acquiring advanced weaponry for the cartel, including restricted-use weapons not even available in the United States. He also coordinated cocaine shipments from Latin America to the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Turkey, and managed investments in offshore companies for money laundering.
It was a priority target for the authorities
Sources consulted by Balderas revealed that the Navy (Semar) had been monitoring Ebben's movements for some time, suggesting that his capture was imminent.
