Gunmen in Police Masks Kill Ecuadorian Drug Lord’s Brother
The brother of the most notorious Ecuadorian drug lord was killed Sunday by gunmen who had disguised themselves as police officers. The victim, 35‑year‑old David Macías, had been a regional leader in the crime syndicate Los Choneros, which has recently been classified by the United States as a foreign terrorist unit.
Authorities say Macías was shot early in the morning while living in an upscale neighbourhood of the coastal town Olón. Witnesses reported that men wearing police gear entered the rented apartment, shot the man, then quickly fled the area. So far no suspects have been detained.
The killings fit a pattern of violence associated with gang conflict in the region, and similar attacks have been reported over the past months, including the shooting of a rival leader near Guayaquil’s international airport and an assault on another gang chief in Colombia.
Police investigators are probing whether the attack was an internal dispute within Los Choneros or an operation carried out by competing criminal networks. The death of the Macías brother adds to the mounting pressure on the local authorities to curb the escalating murder rate connected to the drug trade.
