Ecuador court orders 13 more years in prison for former VP Glas
Glas is currently in prison serving out convictions in two prior corruption cases.
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
US and Ecuador sign agreement to combat transnational crime
The United States and Ecuador on Thursday signed a bilateral agreement aimed at strengthening their collaboration against transnational criminal networks. The agreement, signed during a visit of U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to the South American country, facilitates the exchange of information on suspected criminal offenders and risk assessments of cargo and travelers. Noem told reporters the efforts are 'crucial steps to improve security and ensure that migration is carried out within the framework of the law.' The deal with Ecuador comes as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to bolster regional cooperation in its clampdown against immigration and transnational criminal groups, including Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan gang designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the White House earlier this year. On Wednesday, Noem signed a similar agreement with Chile, which she visited as part of her latest tour of Latin America. That agreement allows Chilean officials to identify potentially dangerous migrants entering or exiting the country and share their fingerprints, iris scans and other biometric data with Homeland Security to prevent such individuals from traveling to the U.S. ____
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Seventeen killed as gunmen attack bar in Ecuador
A 12-year-old boy was among 17 people killed as gunmen fired into a bar in Ecuador, the latest mass shooting in a country ravaged by drug attorney general's office said 14 others were injured in the attack on Sunday night at La Clínica bar in El Major Oscar Valencia said the gunmen travelled in two pickup vehicles and "opened fire on everyone" with "pistols and rifles", before firing on another group as they fled the said the child who was killed had ran for over a kilometre before collapsing and dying from gunshot wounds. Images from the scene published in local media showed several bodies on the street covered in white said they found at least 40 pieces of ballistic evidence at the said witnesses reported the men shouted "active wolves" - a possible reference to a local gang who has vied for control of drug trafficking routes. Guayas has been on the frontline of worsening violence between drug traffickers.A week ago, nine people were killed while playing pool in a bar in the tourist resort of Playas, also in the same Guayas region as the latest shooting. Police said those killed in the earlier incident had been "collateral victims" and not the intended Daniel Noboa declared war on organised crime last year. Since then, the nation has become one of the most violent in the region, with a homicide rate of 38 per 100,000 people in the first five months of 2025, Ecuador recorded 4,051 homicides, according to official to official sources, nearly three quarters of the world's cocaine production passes through Ecuador.
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
Ex-beauty queen is shot dead in front of baby daughter and her partner amid explosion of drug cartel violence in Ecuador
AN EX-beauty queen has been shot dead while travelling in a car with her baby daughter and partner in Ecuador amid the country's ongoing struggle with drug cartel violence. Esther Gabriela Murillo Cruz, 25, was ambushed by two men on a motorbike who sprayed the vehicle with bullets. 3 The model was rushed to a local hospital in Manta just after 3am on Saturday where she was treated for gunshot wounds to her vital organs. But despite medics' best efforts, she was soon pronounced dead. Her 30-year-old partner and one-year-old baby are also believed to have been hospitalised in the attack, local reports said. The ex-beauty queen had been travelling on the Circunvalación highway, in Manabí - one of Ecuador's hardest hit cities by organised crime. Authorities have since launched an urgent investigation into the attack to determine the perpetrators and their motive. Esther won three local beauty competitions and became the "Queen of Marabi province" in 2018. News of her death has left her tens of thousands social media followers devastated - with many calling on leaders to do more to combat crime in the area. While another wrote: "Comfort and strength to your family". The embattled country has seen its murder rate rise eight-fold as brutal gangs battle to control the cocaine trade. Earlier this year, a man believed to be a British national was lynched and burnt alive in a popular eco-tourism area on the country's border with Colombia. A mob stormed a police station in Sucumbios Province where he was being held in custody for an alleged shooting, before dragging him out and setting him alight in front of police officers too terrified to intervene. The shocking scenes are all too common for a nation whose murder rates now rank amongst the highest in the world, with civilians regularly caught in the crossfire and streets turning lawless as cops struggle to keep up with criminality and violence. In 2023 alone, the country saw more than 8,000 deaths, an eightfold rise compared to 2018, putting it above other nations famed for their cartel violence such as Mexico and Colombia. And a new record for the most killings in a single month was broken in January, with 781 killings. After a series of riots saw the gangs take control of prisons, rival factions have waged bitter warfare against each other, carrying out brutal medieval-style executions and hanging bodies from bridges to mark their territory and terrify rivals. Despite attempts by the country's government and armed forces to crack down on the cartels, Ecuador remains the world's number one exporter of cocaine. Televised takeover The most dramatic example of the escalating violence occurred in January last year, when masked gunmen broke into a television studio, threatening the presenter while live on air and trying to force him to read out a warning to police. 'They were kids - kids with guns,' the presenter, Luis Calderón, later told the Guardian. 'They seemed proud of what they were doing… it was as if they were playing a game - only with extremely dangerous and lethal weapons,' he recalled. Police successfully made 13 arrests following the attack, which also happened in the port city of Gauyaquil. Then in May, a further eight were killed after a bar was sprayed with bullets where people had gathered to celebrate a birthday in the coastal province of Santa Elena. Many of the shootings are carried out in a display of dominance, terrifying rivals and keeping local residents subdued. Gangs such as Los Tiguerones, Los Lobos, and Los Choneros have even resorted to gruesome tactics such as cutting out the hearts of captured rivals and showing off the killings on social media. Other victims may find themselves being hanged from bridges, their limp bodies serving as a warning to anyone entering the cartel's territory. While South America has long been associated with drug-related violence, Ecuador for years remained relatively peaceful and free from any serious gang violence.
