Leader of gang targeted by U.S. captured years after faking his death

Wilmer Chavarriais is believed to be the leader of Los Lobos, a drug trafficking syndicate that was recently designated a terrorist organization by the U.S.

• Nov 16

U.S. reaches trade frameworks with Argentina, Guatemala, El Salvador and Ecuador

The agreements will likely affect the prices of things like cocoa, bananas and coffee.

• Nov 13

31 dead after Ecuador prison riot, officials say

At least 27 inmates were found dead from asphyxiation at a prison in Ecuador where a riot broke out that left four others dead earlier in the day, officials said.

• Nov 10

16-year-old soccer player killed by stray bullet in Ecuador

Since 2021, Ecuador has experienced growing criminal violence by gangs operating in coordination with Colombian and Mexican cartels involved in drug trafficking.

• Nov 6

Half of uncontacted tribes could be wiped out in 10 years, report says

Loggers were killed after entering Mashco Piro territory in Peru's Amazon, with Indigenous leaders warning that such clashes are inevitable when frontier zones go unpoliced.

• Oct 27

Ecuador releases survivor of U.S. strike on alleged "narco sub"

Ecuador released a man who survived a U.S. strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel after finding no evidence that he had committed a crime, officials said.

• Oct 21

Boat strike survivors return to home countries

The Department of Defense has released footage from Friday's deadly strike on an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean Sea. CBS News Pentagon reporter and producer Eleanor Watson has the details.

• Oct 20
• 03:18

Judge shot dead while walking his kids to school in Ecuador

Police said the Los Lobos gang -- designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. -- was suspected of the attack on the judge.

• Oct 17

14 people killed, with victims showing "signs of torture" in Ecuador

Four men and four women had "signs of torture" with their hands tied together and "their heads covered in black bags," according to a police report.

• Oct 14

17 killed in Ecuador prison riot days after deadly jailbreak

Clashes between drug gangs claimed at least 17 lives at an Ecuadoran prison, with rampaging inmates beheading and maiming rivals, officials said.

• Sep 26

14 killed in prison clashes in Ecuador as some inmates escape

Ecuador has seen violence spiral in recent years as enemy gangs with ties to Mexican and Colombian cartels vie for control.

• Sep 22

Prehistoric insects trapped in amber give glimpse into ancient life

Scientists have discovered prehistoric insects preserved in amber in South America for the first time.

• Sep 18

7 killed in another mass shooting at a pool hall in Ecuador

The attack was the fourth of its kind in recent weeks in the South American country.

• Sep 15

U.S. designating 2 more gangs as foreign terrorist groups, Rubio says

The announcement targeting Los Lobos and Los Choneros came after a lethal U.S. military strike​ against a similarly designated gang in Venezuela.

• Sep 4

7 killed in pool hall shooting weeks after massacre at different pool hall

A similar pool hall massacre took place last month in the southwestern tourist city of General Villamil Playas, leaving at least nine dead.

• Aug 18

Shootout at Ecuador nightclub kills 8 as violent crime surges, police say

A shooting at a nightclub in Ecuador on Sunday killed eight people and injured three others in the latest violent incident to hit the spiraling South American country, authorities said.

• Aug 10

At least 9 people shot dead while playing pool in Ecuador tourist city

Local media reports said the attackers were armed with automatic rifles, and bullet holes were visible on the pool tables.

• Jul 21

Drug lord pleads not guilty in U.S. court after extradition from Ecuador

José Adolfo Macías Villamar, whose nickname is "Fito," escaped from a prison in Ecuador last year and was recaptured June.

• Jul 21

Ecuador's top drug lord agrees to U.S. extradition after being captured

Adolfo Macias, alias "Fito," was captured in June after escaping from a maximum security prison last year in a jailbreak that sparked a severe wave of gang violence.

• Jul 12

Most wanted Ecuadorian drug lord captured

Authorities have captured Ecuador's most wanted fugitive, a drug lord known as Fito, after he escaped prison more than a year ago. Cristian Benavides has details.

• Jun 26
• 02:06

Ecuador President Daniel Noboa sworn in for second term amid rising crime

The inauguration in Quito, the country's capital, was attended by Health Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr.

• May 24

Five fishermen who spent 55 days adrift at sea arrive in the Galapagos Islands

The three Peruvians and two Colombians had been missing since mid-March and were found on May 7 by an Ecuadorian​ boat called Aldo.

• May 10

Soccer player's wife, 5-year-old child kidnapped as he hid under bed

The incident occurred amid a state of emergency declared 10 days ago by the government in nine areas of the country.

• Apr 25

Soccer player's wife, 5-year-old child rescued after being kidnapped

The kidnappers demanded $500,000 for the release of the wife and son but the family refused to pay, police said.

• Apr 25

Gunmen disguised as soldiers kill 12 spectators at cockfight

Footage of the shooting, circulated on social media, showed spectators flinging themselves to the ground and taking cover under their seats.

• Apr 19

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