A group of armed men clad in fake military uniforms opened fire on a crowd attending a cockfight in the rural northwest community of La Valencia, killing 12 and injuring several others.
The attack, which took place Thursday night, has once again drawn attention to a disturbing tactic increasingly used by organized crime groups: impersonating state forces to execute surprise assaults. Security footage captured the horrifying moment the assailants, carrying automatic rifles, stormed into the makeshift arena and opened fire on unarmed spectators, many of whom dove to the ground or took cover under their seats.
“We have 12 people deceased as a result of an armed attack by a criminal group,” said police colonel Renan Miller Rivera in a statement Friday. While authorities have not disclosed the total number of injured, the incident has sparked renewed calls for security reform in Ecuador’s rural zones, which have become flashpoints in the country’s drug-fueled violence.
The criminals’ use of replica military attire reflects a broader trend among gangs seeking to intimidate and confuse both civilians and law enforcement. Such impersonation not only enables attacks like Thursday’s but also erodes public trust in real security forces.
The violence comes as Ecuador continues to grapple with a wave of killings linked to transnational drug cartels battling for control over trafficking routes through the country’s ports. Earlier this year, Ecuador was averaging one murder every hour, painting a grim picture of a nation under siege.
In response to the massacre, police have detained four individuals, including what national police chief Victor Hugo Zarate described on X as a “target of intermediate value.” Authorities have not released further details about the suspects or the motive behind the attack.
