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Four dead and 43 hurt in Ecuador prison massacre as gangs clash in fierce shootout
The new wave of violence rocked the El Oro No 1 Detention Center in Machala in the early hours of this morning after 'explosions and disturbances' were reported from inside the prison
A shootout between rival gangs at an Ecuador prison has left four dead and 43 people wounded. The new wave of violence rocked the El Oro No 1 Detention Center in Machala in the early hours of this morning ( November 9).
The incident happened at around 2.45am local time when ECU-911 Machala received alerts about explosions and disturbances inside the prison. Tactical units from the National Police and the Intervention and Rescue Group (GIR) were immediately deployed, and after several minutes of clashes, they managed to regain control of the facility, reports Conexion Informativa.
A police source warned that the death toll could rise in the coming hours due to the severity of the injuries sustained by some inmates. Officers found two firearms and three explosive devices believed to have been used during the confrontation.
The prison, which houses more than 1,300 inmates despite having a capacity for only 600, has been the scene of several violent incidents. Just last month, a massacre left 14 dead—including a prison guard—and 14 wounded, in one of the bloodiest episodes recorded at the facility.
The Machala prison is one of the most notorious jails in Ecuador, renowned for the level of gang violence inside its walls. One harrowing moment in recent months came when a prisoner had pretended to be sick in order to leave their cell, only to then fire on other inmates with a gun that was smuggled in for them.
Other ways that the prison is well known includes its poor standard of hygiene and the easy spread of serious diseases. Previous instances of tuberculosis outbreaks have been recorded at the facility, with as many as 182 people being struck down with the potentially fatal disease
Prison gangs have played a key role in running criminal enterprises from behind bars and have struck alliances with Mexican drug cartels to control the flow of cocaine from neighbouring producer countries through Ecuador's ports to the US and beyond.
Earlier this year, the United States designated two Ecuadorean gangs - Los Lobos and Los Choneros - as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
The US State Department said at the time that the gangs' "ultimate goal is to control drug trafficking routes through Ecuador by terrorising and inflicting brutal violence on the Ecuadorian people".
Daily Star Sunday
The new wave of violence rocked the El Oro No 1 Detention Center in Machala in the early hours of this morning after 'explosions and disturbances' were reported from inside the prison
A shootout between rival gangs at an Ecuador prison has left four dead and 43 people wounded. The new wave of violence rocked the El Oro No 1 Detention Center in Machala in the early hours of this morning ( November 9).
The incident happened at around 2.45am local time when ECU-911 Machala received alerts about explosions and disturbances inside the prison. Tactical units from the National Police and the Intervention and Rescue Group (GIR) were immediately deployed, and after several minutes of clashes, they managed to regain control of the facility, reports Conexion Informativa.
A police source warned that the death toll could rise in the coming hours due to the severity of the injuries sustained by some inmates. Officers found two firearms and three explosive devices believed to have been used during the confrontation.
The prison, which houses more than 1,300 inmates despite having a capacity for only 600, has been the scene of several violent incidents. Just last month, a massacre left 14 dead—including a prison guard—and 14 wounded, in one of the bloodiest episodes recorded at the facility.
The Machala prison is one of the most notorious jails in Ecuador, renowned for the level of gang violence inside its walls. One harrowing moment in recent months came when a prisoner had pretended to be sick in order to leave their cell, only to then fire on other inmates with a gun that was smuggled in for them.
Other ways that the prison is well known includes its poor standard of hygiene and the easy spread of serious diseases. Previous instances of tuberculosis outbreaks have been recorded at the facility, with as many as 182 people being struck down with the potentially fatal disease
Prison gangs have played a key role in running criminal enterprises from behind bars and have struck alliances with Mexican drug cartels to control the flow of cocaine from neighbouring producer countries through Ecuador's ports to the US and beyond.
Earlier this year, the United States designated two Ecuadorean gangs - Los Lobos and Los Choneros - as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
The US State Department said at the time that the gangs' "ultimate goal is to control drug trafficking routes through Ecuador by terrorising and inflicting brutal violence on the Ecuadorian people".
Daily Star Sunday