17 killed in Ecuador prison riot days after deadly jailbreak

Clashes between drug gangs claimed at least 17 lives at an Ecuadoran prison, with rampaging inmates beheading and maiming rivals, officials said.

• Sep 26

14 killed in prison clashes in Ecuador as some inmates escape

Ecuador has seen violence spiral in recent years as enemy gangs with ties to Mexican and Colombian cartels vie for control.

• Sep 22

Prehistoric insects trapped in amber give glimpse into ancient life

Scientists have discovered prehistoric insects preserved in amber in South America for the first time.

• Sep 18

7 killed in another mass shooting at a pool hall in Ecuador

The attack was the fourth of its kind in recent weeks in the South American country.

• Sep 15

U.S. designating 2 more gangs as foreign terrorist groups, Rubio says

The announcement targeting Los Lobos and Los Choneros came after a lethal U.S. military strike​ against a similarly designated gang in Venezuela.

• Sep 4

7 killed in pool hall shooting weeks after massacre at different pool hall

A similar pool hall massacre took place last month in the southwestern tourist city of General Villamil Playas, leaving at least nine dead.

• Aug 18

Shootout at Ecuador nightclub kills 8 as violent crime surges, police say

A shooting at a nightclub in Ecuador on Sunday killed eight people and injured three others in the latest violent incident to hit the spiraling South American country, authorities said.

• Aug 10

At least 9 people shot dead while playing pool in Ecuador tourist city

Local media reports said the attackers were armed with automatic rifles, and bullet holes were visible on the pool tables.

• Jul 21

Drug lord pleads not guilty in U.S. court after extradition from Ecuador

José Adolfo Macías Villamar, whose nickname is "Fito," escaped from a prison in Ecuador last year and was recaptured June.

• Jul 21

Ecuador's top drug lord agrees to U.S. extradition after being captured

Adolfo Macias, alias "Fito," was captured in June after escaping from a maximum security prison last year in a jailbreak that sparked a severe wave of gang violence.

• Jul 12

Most wanted Ecuadorian drug lord captured

Authorities have captured Ecuador's most wanted fugitive, a drug lord known as Fito, after he escaped prison more than a year ago. Cristian Benavides has details.

• Jun 26
• 02:06

Ecuador President Daniel Noboa sworn in for second term amid rising crime

The inauguration in Quito, the country's capital, was attended by Health Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr.

• May 24

Five fishermen who spent 55 days adrift at sea arrive in the Galapagos Islands

The three Peruvians and two Colombians had been missing since mid-March and were found on May 7 by an Ecuadorian​ boat called Aldo.

• May 10

Soccer player's wife, 5-year-old child kidnapped as he hid under bed

The incident occurred amid a state of emergency declared 10 days ago by the government in nine areas of the country.

• Apr 25

Soccer player's wife, 5-year-old child rescued after being kidnapped

The kidnappers demanded $500,000 for the release of the wife and son but the family refused to pay, police said.

• Apr 25

Gunmen disguised as soldiers kill 12 spectators at cockfight

Footage of the shooting, circulated on social media, showed spectators flinging themselves to the ground and taking cover under their seats.

• Apr 19

Ecuador imposes state of emergency before razor-close election

Ecuador declared a state of emergency Saturday in seven of its 24 provinces, including the capital Quito, saying it was needed to fight a dramatic rise in drug-linked violence.

• Apr 12

U.S. intelligence report favors incumbent Ecuadorian president in election

Ahead of the Ecuadorian presidential elections Sunday, CBS News has learned a U.S. intel assessment favors the incumbent president, viewing him as better for U.S. interests.

• Apr 11

"Freddy Kruegers" and "Peaky Blinders": The mafias terrorizing Ecuador

A flood of cocaine from Colombia and Peru through Ecuadoran ports has created a plethora of mafias with striking names and ferocious reputations.

• Apr 10

Fugitive leader of notorious Ecuador drug gang is indicted in U.S.

José Adolfo Macías Villamar — known as "Fito" — has led Los Choneros and its "network of assassins and drug and weapon traffickers" since at least 2020, federal prosecutors said.

• Apr 2

Man found alive after 94 days stranded at sea eating turtles, birds

Maximo Napa was rescued in his small fishing boat after being spotted by an Ecuadoran vessel off the coast of northern Peru.

• Mar 17

22 killed, 3 wounded in narco gang gun battles in Ecuador

A police source told AFP the gunfights involved opposing factions of a powerful gang called Los Tigerones.

• Mar 7

14 killed in narco gang clashes as police warn of "reprisals"

In one incident, gunmen on motorcycles fired into a crowd gathered outside a grocery store, killing a child and six adults, police said.

• Feb 18

Air force colonel shot dead by hitmen in Ecuador

Police said Colonel Porfirio Cedeño, who led an air force special operations unit, was the passenger in a van when more than 20 shots were fired.

• Feb 14

Ecuador gangs turn to "death saint" for protection — and human sacrifices

"They stole children from other towns and sacrificed them in front of her (Santa Muerte) when they wanted to land a big hit," a former gang member said.

• Feb 5

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