Twelve people were killed and several others wounded when gunmen opened fire at a cockfighting ring in the rural town of La Valencia in Manabí province, police said Friday.
Security footage shows at least five armed men entering the arena dressed in fake military uniforms on Thursday night. They fired automatic weapons into the crowd as spectators ran for cover.
Police arrested four suspects the next day. One is described as a “target of intermediate value.” The suspects are believed to be part of a criminal group called Los R7.
During raids in Manabí province, officers found eight rifles, four pistols, three shotguns, military-style clothing, ballistic helmets, tactical gloves, and 11 mobile phones. Two abandoned vehicles were also recovered: one was burned, the other overturned near the scene.
#Manabí|| Policía Nacional capturó a 4 sujetos, entre ellos un objetivo de intermedio valor, implicados en el hecho de la gallera.
Tras tareas de gestión investigativa y varios allanamientos ejecutados en #ElCarmen, aprehendimos a 4 delincuentes, quienes serían los responsables… pic.twitter.com/XVxNNAcliG
— PRENSA Virtual (@PRENSAVirtual_) April 19, 2025
Ecuador, situated between Colombia and Peru, two of the world’s largest cocaine producers, has become a key transit point for the drug trade. President Daniel Noboa has stated that around 70% of the world’s cocaine passes through Ecuador’s ports.
Police report that over 20 gangs are active in the country, engaged in activities ranging from trafficking to kidnapping and extortion. In January 2025 alone, Ecuador recorded 781 murders, many of which were linked to the drug trade.
