Mexican Style Crime - Five Severed Heads with Narco Banner Left at Beach in Manabí, Ecuador

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

Five severed heads were left next to a narco banner threatening a criminal group in the beach town of Puerto López, Ecuador. The public display of violence, typical in Mexico, has become increasingly common in conflict zones in Ecuador in recent years as Ecuadorian criminal groups have adopted the tactics of Mexican criminal organizations.

The severed heads were found hanging from a rope on a tourist beach on the morning of January 11th. Two banners with the same message threatening local criminals who target fishermen were found at the scene. The messaged stated: "The town belongs to us. Keep going out to rob the fishermen and keep demanding the vaccine card. We have all of you identified. You are going to die in the same way." 

The line about the vaccine card references proof of extortion payments fishermen are required to provide to criminal groups showing that they are up to date on their protection fees. 

The victims have been identified as Pedro M. (34 years old), Jorge Q. (22), Anthony A. (20), Bernardo M. (24) and Daniel R. Two of the victims previously had been under investigation for involvement with organized crime, but the charges were dropped. 

A day later, a decapitated body was found in a boat on El Matal beach, in the Jama canton of Manabí province. 

Violent crime has increased in this city over the last months. The number of homicides increased from 29 in 2024 to 52 in 2025, a 79% jump year over year. Mass killings and mutilated corpses have become a common sight in the city where criminal groups are fighting for control of drug trafficking routes. The increase in violence mirrors overall trends across Ecuador, which just had its most violent year, with 9,176 homicides in 2025. 75% of the homicides occur in just three provinces: Guayas, Manabí, and Los Rios, near the western coast. 

Percentage of homicides in Ecuador by province

Each year, Ecuador breaks its own records for seizures of cocaine, highlighting the nation's increased role as a transit point for South American drug traffickers on their way to the United States and Europe. Over the last few years, the number of hectares used for cocaine cultivation has increased, now with an output of $320 million of the drug, according to Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa. 

Sources: Ecuavisa, ⁠El Comercio, Ecuavisa, InfoBae, OECO Homicides study