Rival factions of a powerful Ecuadoran drug trafficking gang, Los Tigerones, engaged in violent clashes on Thursday in the port city of Guayaquil, leaving at least 22 people dead and three others wounded, according to local authorities. The death toll was revised upward from an initial count of 12 fatalities, as police reported a series of gunfights across the city.
A police source informed AFP that the fighting erupted between opposing factions of Los Tigerones, one of Ecuador’s most formidable criminal groups. The violence, described by Guayaquil’s El Universo newspaper as a “massacre,” was reportedly fueled by territorial disputes. Armed gang members, numbering at least 20, targeted several homes in the city’s Socio Vivienda district, resulting in multiple casualties.
Ecuador’s Escalating Violence Crisis
The deadly clashes underscore the deepening violence plaguing Ecuador, driven by the rapid rise of transnational drug cartels that exploit the country’s ports, including Guayaquil, to smuggle cocaine to the U.S. and Europe. Homicide rates have skyrocketed in recent years, jumping from six per 100,000 residents in 2018 to a record 47 in 2023.
Guayaquil, the capital of Guayas province, has become a focal point of the crisis. The province is one of seven under a state of emergency, which has been in effect for the past two months as the government intensifies its crackdown on criminal organizations. In February, similar clashes between rival gangs in Guayaquil left 14 people dead.
President Daniel Noboa, who took office in November 2023, has vowed to confront the escalating violence. Last month, he announced plans to seek assistance from unspecified allied countries, including the deployment of special forces, to combat the gangs. The violence persists as Ecuador prepares for an April 13 runoff election, in which Noboa will face leftist candidate Luisa González.
The government’s efforts to curb organized crime have seen some successes. In January, the military arrested a leader of Los Lobos, one of Ecuador’s largest crime syndicates, at his home in the coastal city of Portoviejo. The U.S. has identified Los Lobos as the country’s largest drug trafficking organization.
Earlier this year, Noboa declared a state of “internal armed conflict” following a surge in violence triggered by the jailbreak of a prominent crime boss. Despite these measures, the ongoing bloodshed highlights the challenges facing Ecuador as it struggles to restore security and stability