US EditionHuman Heads Displayed at Ecuador Tourist Beach in Warning to Gangs
Five human heads were displayed at a Puerto López beach with a threat against gangs extorting 'vaccine cards' and robbing fishermen amid record violence, officials said.
- Five severed heads were displayed on wooden posts on a beach in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador, alongside a threatening message warning against extorting fishermen.
- Ecuador experienced a record high homicide rate of 52 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2025 due to increased violence from gangs linked to international drug cartels.
- President Daniel Noboa has pledged to fight criminal organizations operating in Ecuador in connection with drug trafficking, but military efforts have failed to stem the bloodshed.
45 Articles
45 Articles
Five severed heads found hanging on Ecuador beach amid escalating gang clashes
Five severed human heads were found hanging from ropes on a beach in southwestern Ecuador Sunday in a gruesome display linked to ongoing gang violence sweeping across the country, according to reports.The killings came amid a wave of bloody violence tied to drug trafficking and organized crime, which has surged across Ecuador in recent years.The Associated Press reported that the grim discovery underscores the tactics used by criminal groups com…
The macabre image was spotted in Puerto Lopez, in the province of Manavi – The area is affected by severe gang conflicts
It is the same beach where, among other things, a baby was killed in a clash between drug gangs in December.
On Sunday, the Ecuadorian police discovered several human heads displayed on a tourist beach. On-line photos showed five heads tied to two wooden posts on the beach of Puerto López in the south-west of the South American country. On a wooden board next to it, gang members were threatened, who extorted the "vaccination cards" known locally. "The city belongs to us. If you continue to rob fishermen and demand vaccination cards – we have already id…
Associated Press News
Human heads found hanging on a beach in southwestern Ecuador
Police in Ecuador have found five human heads displayed on a beach in Puerto Lopez. The discovery, made on Sunday, is linked to ongoing drug-trafficking violence in the area.
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