Gang Gunmen Kill Man With 6 Bullets in Durán as Police Cite Deep Corruption
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 28
Gang Gunmen Kill Man With 6 Bullets in Durán as Police Cite Deep Corruption
1 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 28
Summary
Six bullet wounds were found on a man killed beside a motorbike in Durán, where police suspect a revenge attack by one gang against another.
A witness said two men on a motorbike shot him in the back, then finished him with a head shot; another body was already in the forensic van.
Durán police say raids have seized weapons and detained dealers, but prosecutors often release suspects and gangs use bribes and police tip-offs to evade arrests.
More than 9,200 people were killed in Ecuador last year, and President Daniel Noboa says about 70% of cocaine reaching Europe and the US is shipped through the country.
Police say Durán's murder rate has halved in the first six months of 2026, yet residents and gang members alike describe violence, corruption and recruitment of teenagers as entrenched.
How did banana exports, weak courts, and corrupt insiders help turn Durán into one of Ecuador’s most dangerous trafficking hubs?
If gangs in Ecuador can bribe police, buy warnings, and recruit 12-year-olds, what would it actually take for Durán to escape cartel rule?
Durán Under Siege: How Ecuador’s Militarized Drug War Fueled a 430% Homicide Explosion
Overview
Ecuador’s 2026 security crisis shows the limits of military crackdowns against organized crime. Despite deploying tens of thousands of soldiers and police in a major anti-drug operation, violence in cities like Durán surged as gangs adapted, splintered, and shifted tactics. Local criminal groups, empowered by international cartels and a lack of public services, infiltrated municipal institutions and established a parallel state, recruiting vulnerable youth and controlling essential resources. Efforts to capture gang leaders often backfired, fueling more chaos. With the justice system paralyzed by corruption and most crimes going unpunished, lasting peace remains out of reach without deep social and institutional reforms.