Seven Burned to Death in Ecuador; Gang Dispute Suspected

A grim discovery was made on July 27, 2026, in Ecuador's Cañar province, where seven individuals were found burned to death inside a property located on the El Triunfo-El Piedrero road in the Dos Bocas sector. The macabre find followed alerts from residents reporting a structural fire.

The National Police are treating the case as a potential homicide, with preliminary investigations suggesting a possible link to a conflict between the criminal organizations Los Lobos and Los Águilas. Personnel from the National Directorate for Investigation of Crimes Against Life, Violent Deaths, Disappearances, Extortion, and Kidnapping (Dinased) confirmed the presence of the bodies in the living area of the residence.

Details from the scene are disturbing. Two of the victims were found with their upper limbs bound by wire. Outside the residence, an SUV was discovered completely incinerated. Investigators collected eight spent shell casings, two bullets, the burned vehicle, and five motorcycles as evidence.

Further investigation revealed that the property may have belonged to Carlos Suástegui, a leader of Los Águilas, who was assassinated on June 17, 2026, at Guayaquil's José Joaquín del Olmedo airport. It is presumed that the burned SUV belonged to his son.

While the victims have not yet been officially identified, preliminary reports indicate they were seven men between the ages of 21 and 30. The bodies have been transported to the morgue at Darío Machuca Hospital for autopsies.