Gang Leader Shot Dead at Guayaquil Airport
An Ecuadorean man, accused by police of leading a faction of one of the country's most feared criminal gangs, was shot dead as he was leaving the airport in Ecuador's largest city, Guayaquil.
Security footage reveals two young men waiting outside the arrivals terminal holding stuffed toys and flowers. One of them approaches the victim, pulls a gun concealed behind a teddy bear, and shoots him at point-blank range.
Authorities have detained two teenagers in connection with the incident, which is part of a widespread wave of gang violence affecting the country.
This fatal shooting occurred just one day after Ecuador's president declared a new state of emergency in 10 provinces, including Guayas, where the attack took place.
Victim Identified as Gang Leader
Ecuador's interior minister, John Reimberg, identified the victim of Wednesday's attack as 39-year-old Carlos Alberto Suástegui Villanueva. Reimberg stated that Suástegui was the leader of the Los Águilas gang in El Triunfo, a region east of Guayaquil.
Los Águilas, designated as a "terrorist organisation" by Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa in 2024, is accused of extensive involvement in drug trafficking and extortion.
It is among several gangs whose criminal activities have transformed Ecuador from a relatively safe country into a crime hotspot, with one of the highest murder rates in the Western Hemisphere in recent years.
Strategic Location and Drug Trafficking
Ecuador is situated between Colombia and Peru, the world's two largest producers of coca, the base ingredient in cocaine. The country has become a key corridor for smuggling cocaine to the United States, Europe, and other destinations.
Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city, has been particularly affected by drug and gang-related violence. The daylight attack just outside the airport's arrivals hall has shocked local residents.
Newspaper El Universo reported that passengers scattered in panic as the shots were fired.
Police confirmed that one bystander was injured during the attack. Video footage shows a man pulling a suitcase collapsing to the floor as the shooting occurred.
The security footage also captures the first gunman fleeing the scene while the second fires an additional shot at Suástegui.
The arrivals hall was closed for over two hours while forensic experts and police conducted investigations at the scene.
Government Response to Gang Violence
President Noboa has sought to address the surge in gang violence by declaring states of emergency. These declarations grant security forces enhanced powers, such as the ability to search homes without a warrant if there are reasonable grounds to suspect illicit activity.
Despite these measures, the murder rate in Ecuador reached a record high in 2025.
