A tractor is used in a police operation against gangs in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Friday, March 14, 2025.Image: keystone
Feb 15, 2026, 3:49 p.mFeb 15, 2026, 3:49 p.m
Eight severed human heads were discovered in jute sacks on the side of the road in Ecuador. “Stealing is forbidden” was written on leaflets at the site, a police spokesman said. According to preliminary information, investigators assume murder and suspect the motive was a power struggle between criminal gangs for control of illegal businesses.
The victims are eight men who have not yet been identified. There were initially no arrests. According to police, the heads were found in a rural area of Naranjal in Guayas province on the South American country’s Pacific coast. Just in January, five heads were discovered on a tourist beach.
Gangs fight over important routes and areas of influence
Ecuador has been in a serious security crisis for several years. Criminal gangs use the country as an important transshipment point for cocaine, which is primarily smuggled via Pacific ports towards the USA and Europe. Ecuador is considered a transit country for drugs from Colombia, Bolivia and Peru. Several gangs fight over routes and areas of influence in the lucrative drug business. Violence has increased significantly recently. (sda/dpa)