QUITO, Ecuador — A dozen attackers wearing military uniforms invaded a coastal property in western Ecuador during the early morning hours Monday, fatally shooting at least seven individuals in what authorities describe as the newest chapter of escalating drug-related bloodshed plaguing the South American country.
Law enforcement officials reported that the assailants, posing as government soldiers while carrying firearms, targeted the seaside location in Manabi province and opened fire on multiple victims, including three adult male siblings.
The nation’s murder statistics have increased fivefold since 2020, with Ecuador documenting its most deadly year on record in 2023 when homicides reached 50 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, data from the Interior Ministry shows.
This dramatic rise in deadly violence stems from battling criminal organizations linked to Mexican and Colombian drug cartels, along with their domestic partners, as they compete for dominance over narcotics smuggling corridors and shipping facilities used to transport cocaine northward to American markets.
President Daniel Noboa responded to the crisis in January by implementing emergency powers across seven provinces, granting law enforcement authority to conduct warrantless home searches while deploying military forces for city patrols.
Noboa has accused Colombia’s leadership of fueling the bloodshed by failing to adequately manage rebel factions and trafficking networks operating near their mutual boundary. Colombian officials have rejected these claims, sparking a commercial dispute between the adjacent nations.
Ecuador documented over 9,000 homicides throughout 2023, with the majority of these killings occurring within the coastal regions of Guayas, Manabi and Esmeraldas provinces.
