Overview
- Police confirmed five human heads were found hanging from ropes on a popular beach in Puerto López, Manabí, beside a sign threatening alleged extortionists who demand “vaccine card” payments.
- A police report attributes the display to conflict between criminal groups fighting for territory and drug‑trafficking routes along Ecuador’s coast.
- Authorities say networks tied to transnational cartels have exploited local fishermen and small boats for illicit shipments in the area.
- The discovery followed heightened patrols and surveillance under a state of emergency in nine provinces, introduced after recent massacres in Manabí.
- Official figures show more than 9,000 homicides in 2025, marking Ecuador’s deadliest year and underscoring persistent gang violence despite security operations.