In brief
Ecuadorian authorities report that Carlos Alberto Suástegui Villanueva, a feared gang chief, was shot dead just outside the arrivals hall of José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport. Security footage shows two men, armed with guns hidden in stuffed toys, executing a point‑blank ambush while the victim was leaving the airport. Teenager suspects have been detained and the shooting occurs amid a nationwide emergency declared by President Daniel Noboa to curb a surge in gang‑related violence. The event follows a rise in Ecuador’s murder rate and showcases the nation’s growing status as a drug smuggling corridor between Colombia and Peru.
Ecuadorian police say 39‑year‑old Carlos Alberto Suástegui Villanueva, known as the head of the Los Águilas gang, was killed outside José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil.
Video footage shows two young men standing outside the arrivals terminal with stuffed toys and flowers. One pulls a gun from behind a teddy bear, steps forward, and fires a point‑blank shot. A second man later fires another gunshot at the victim before fleeing the scene.
Police say the two teenage suspects have been arrested for the attack.
The shooting comes one day after President Daniel Noboa declared a fresh state of emergency in 10 provinces, including Guayas where the attack occurred, giving security forces extra powers to crack down on drug trafficking and gang activity.
Los Águilas, labeled a “terrorist organization” by the president in 2024, is linked to extensive drug smuggling and extortion. The party’s activities have turned Ecuador into one of the Western Hemisphere’s largest murder hotspots in recent years.
The incident occurred outside the airport’s arrivals hall, a bustling public space normally shielded from such violence. Witnesses describe passengers scattering in alarm as shots rang. A bystander was injured when a suitcase collapsed onto the floor during the chaos.
Authorities closed the arrivals hall for more than two hours while forensic teams investigated the scene.
