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Twelve people were killed and several others injured in a deadly assault at a cockfighting event in the rural Ecuadorian community of La Valencia on Thursday night, police confirmed on Friday. According to reports, the assailants—at least five men—wore fake military uniforms and carried automatic rifles as they stormed the crowded arena in Ecuador.
Security footage from the incident, which has since circulated widely on social media, shows the attackers opening fire on dozens of spectators. Panic-stricken civilians can be seen diving for cover beneath seats as bullets ripped through the venue.
“We Have 12 People Deceased”
Police colonel Renan Miller Rivera confirmed the fatalities in a statement, saying, “We have 12 people deceased as a result of an armed attack by a criminal group.” He added that several more were injured, though he did not specify the exact number.
Authorities say the attack fits a pattern seen across Ecuador in recent months, where criminal gangs impersonate security forces—often using replica uniforms—to carry out violent operations. The country has seen a dramatic rise in killings, averaging one per hour at the start of 2024.
Suspected Gang Behind the Ecuador Attack: “Los R7”
Police arrested four suspects in connection with the shooting, including what officials described as a “target of intermediate value.” Ecuador’s national police chief, Victor Hugo Zarate, shared the information on social media, stating that the suspects are believed to be members of the organized crime group “Los R7.”
After the massacre, police discovered discarded military-style uniforms and two abandoned vehicles near a nearby highway. One of the vehicles had been set on fire, while the other was found overturned.
A video shared by police showed officers recovering evidence from the area, including weapons and bags hidden under tree branches. The footage also showed four arrested individuals with their faces blurred out, alongside cash, firearms, and tactical gear.
Ecuador Attack: Cache of Weapons and Equipment Recovered
In addition to the uniforms, Ecuador’s National Police said they had recovered a substantial weapons cache that included:
- Eight rifles
- Four pistols
- Three shotguns
- Eight magazines
- Eleven mobile phones
- Ballistic helmets
- Tactical gloves
Ecuador’s Security Crisis: A Nation at the Mercy of Gangs
Ecuador’s ongoing security crisis is being driven by roughly 20 criminal gangs operating within its borders. Many, like “Los Freddy Kruegers” and “The Peaky Blinders,” are known for trafficking, extortion, and violent tactics. The country’s strategic location—sandwiched between Peru and Colombia, two of the world’s top cocaine producers—has made it a key transit route for international drug shipments.
According to Ecuador’s interior ministry, approximately 73 percent of the world’s cocaine moves through the country, much of it bound for the United States and Europe.
The situation has become so dire that President Daniel Noboa recently renewed a nationwide state of emergency. Noboa, who secured re-election last Sunday, has taken a hardline stance on security, even suggesting the deployment of U.S. special forces in Ecuador and proposing reforms to allow U.S. military bases in the country.
U.S. Sanctions and the Hunt for Ecuador’s Cartel Leaders
Several high-profile Ecuadorian gang leaders have come under U.S. scrutiny in recent months.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on the notorious gang “Los Choneros.” One of its key figures, José Adolfo Macías Villamar—known by his alias “Fito”—escaped prison in Ecuador last year and remains at large. Earlier this month, the leader of another group, “Los Cheronos,” was indicted in New York City for allegedly importing thousands of pounds of cocaine into the U.S.
In a separate incident earlier this year, Carlos D—widely known as “El Chino”—was arrested at his home in Portoviejo. He is described by Ecuador’s armed forces as the second-in-command of “Los Lobos,” one of the country’s most powerful crime syndicates and a group the U.S. now recognizes as Ecuador’s largest drug trafficking organization.
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