Overview
- Police said Miguel Nazareno was fatally struck by stray gunfire while at his home in Guayaquil on Wednesday.
- Independiente del Valle posted condolences on Instagram, saying he became a victim of the insecurity affecting the country.
- Nazareno is at least the fourth soccer player killed by gunfire in Ecuador in 2025, following the September deaths of Maicol Valencia, Leandro Yépez and Jonathan González.
- Ecuador has seen rising violence linked to gangs collaborating with Colombian and Mexican cartels, with homicides up 47% in the first half of 2025 versus a year earlier, according to the National Observatory of Organized Crime.
- Government efforts have included troop deployments and the recapture and U.S. extradition of drug boss Adolfo Macías, yet high-profile attacks have continued, including the recent killing of a judge and mass-casualty shootings.