Gang Leader Assassinated Outside Guayaquil Airport Amidst State of Emergency

A leader of one of Ecuador's most dangerous criminal gangs was gunned down in broad daylight outside the airport in Guayaquil, the country's largest city. Surveillance footage captured two young men waiting near the arrivals exit, one carrying a teddy bear and flowers. The assailant approached the 39-year-old victim, Carlos Alberto Suástegui Villanueva, pulled a pistol from behind the bear, and opened fire at close range.

Ecuador's Interior Minister John Reimberg confirmed the slain man led the Los Águilas gang in the El Triunfo region. This group was declared a terrorist organization in 2024 and is associated with drug trafficking, extortion, and other serious crimes. Police arrested two minors in connection with the attack, and a bystander was injured in the crossfire. Passengers fled in panic as shots rang out.

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The leader of one of Ecuador's most dangerous criminal gangs was killed in broad daylight outside the airport in Guayaquil, the largest city in the South American country.

The assassination happened just one day after Ekvadorian President Daniel Noboa declared a new state of emergency in ten provinces, citing escalating violence linked to drug cartels and criminal groups. Ecuador has become a major transit hub for cocaine smuggling to Europe and the U.S. in recent years, with murder rates reaching record highs. Guayaquil is one of the areas most affected by the violence.

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The slain man led the Los Águilas gang in the El Triunfo region. This group was declared a terrorist organization in 2024 and is associated with drug trafficking, extortion, and other serious crimes.