Gang Leader Shot Dead in Ecuadorian Airport Ambush

Thu Jun 18 2026 18:55:30 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A suspected gang chief was shot by masked gunmen outside Guayaquil’s main airport in a bizarre flower bouquet ambush, sparking new emergency measures.

Security footage shows two young men with stuffed toys and a bouquet of flowers approaching a suspect, ultimately pointing a handgun at him and firing point‑blank. The shooting took place just after the president declared a fresh state of emergency, prompting the arrest of two teenagers and prompting further police action. The victim, identified as 39‑year‑old Carlos Alberto Suástegui Villanueva, leader of the Los Águilas gang, has contributed to Ecuador’s escalating gang violence, highlighted by the country’s high murder rate and its role in the global cocaine trade.

Gang Leader Shot Dead in Ecuadorian Airport Ambush

Security footage captures two young men with stuffed toys and a bouquet of flowers waiting outside the arrivals terminal in Guayaquil’s José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport. One of them pulls a handgun from behind a teddy bear and fires point‑blank at a man identified by police as Carlos Alberto Suástegui Villanueva, 39, who is said to head the Los Águilas gang.

The attack follows the president’s declaration of a new state of emergency in 10 provinces, including Guayas, and comes amid a surge of gang‑related violence that has pushed Ecuador’s murder rate to a record high in 2025. Police say two teenagers were detained for their role in the shooting.

Los Águilas, labelled a terrorist organisation in 2024, is a key player in drug trafficking and extortion. The country sits astride the main corridor for cocaine from Colombia and Peru to the United States and Europe, and its growing criminal activity has turned it from a relatively safe haven into a hotspot for violence.

Witnesses on the scene reported confusion as the shooting erupted. One bystander was injured, and police footage shows a man collapsing after the gunmen fired. The arrivals hall remained closed for over two hours while forensic teams investigated the scene.

The shooting has intensified calls for stricter law‑enforcement power. President Noboa’s emergency measures allow police to search homes without a warrant if they have reasonable grounds to suspect illicit activity, yet reforms have had limited effect on reducing violence.