Guard and 13 inmates killed in Ecuador prison fight
13 inmates and one prison guard killed; 14 injured as authorities retook the Machala jail after a deadly gang clash, with some inmates escaping but 13 recaptured
A prison in Machala, in southwestern Ecuador, was the scene of a deadly clash between rival gangs on Monday, leaving 13 inmates and one prison guard dead and 14 people injured, authorities said. Two police officers were among the injured. An unknown number of inmates may have escaped during the incident, though 13 had been recaptured as security forces worked to regain control of the facility.
Police described the sequence as follows: security personnel rushed to one wing after an alarm call from guards there, only to be taken hostage and watch one guard killed. Moments later, members of the Los Lobos Box gang stormed the wing where their rivals were locked up and attacked them, authorities said.
Some inmates managed to escape through a hole in the perimeter wall created by an explosive device they had set off, though it was not clear how the explosives were smuggled into the jail.
To restore order, security forces deployed about 200 officers and soldiers, and they regained control of the prison.
Security and law enforcement officials have long been confronting Ecuador's spiraling gang violence, which has eroded the country’s reputation as one of the safest in Latin America. Prison gangs have increasingly run extortion and trafficking operations from behind bars and have formed alliances with Mexican drug cartels to control shipments of cocaine from neighboring producer countries through Ecuador’s ports.
Earlier this month the United States designated two Ecuadorian gangs — Los Lobos and Los Choneros — as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, saying their goal is to control drug trafficking routes by terrorizing and inflicting brutal violence on the Ecuadorian people.
Residents in Machala have for years pressured authorities to relocate the prison, which sits in the center of the city, reflecting broader concerns about where to house inmates linked to organized crime.
While deadly prison violence is not uncommon, the latest clash underscores the challenges Ecuador faces as it tries to curb gang influence and stem the flow of illegal drugs through its ports.